Bellwood Press, 1233 Central St., Evanston, IL 60201-0605 Copyright © 2010 by the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States All rights reserved. Published 2010 Printed in the United States of America on acid-free paper 24 23 22 21 4 3 2
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Renshaw, Amy. Voyage of love / written by Amy Renshaw. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references (p. ). ISBN 978-0-87743-714-7 (pbk. : alk. paper) 1. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, 1844–1921—Travel—United States. 2. Bahai Faith—United States—History—20th century. 3. United States—Description and travel. I. Title. BP393.R46 2010 297.9’3092—dc22 2010028277
Cover design by Andrew Johnson Book design by Patrick Falso Photograph of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá taken in Dublin, New Hampshire reproduced with permission of the Bahá’í International Community Author photo by Amethel Parel-Sewell
Contents Preface to the Centenary Edition...................................................... ix Note to the Reader............................................................................1 Introduction......................................................................................3 1 / Arrival..........................................................................................7 2 / City of Love...............................................................................13 3 / The First Call to Peace...............................................................21 4 / The Blessed Poor.......................................................................25 5 / Boys of the Bowery....................................................................31 6 / A Luminous Star........................................................................35 7 / Flowers in a Garden...................................................................41 8 / Union of East and West.............................................................49 9 / The Titanic Disaster..................................................................57 10 / Pure Hearts..............................................................................65 11 / Suffering and Glory.................................................................69 12 / Temple of Unity......................................................................75 13 / The Cornerstone......................................................................85 14 / Shining Stars............................................................................91 v
CONTENTS
15 / A Treasured Gift......................................................................97 16 / Wings of a Bird......................................................................103 17 / A Blessed Anniversary............................................................109 18 / The Portrait...........................................................................115 19 / Roses of God’s Garden...........................................................121 20 / Creating a Precious Relic.......................................................123 21 / City of the Covenant.............................................................127 22 / Unity Feast............................................................................135 23 / Bahá’í Marriage......................................................................141 24 / A Delightful Spot...................................................................149 25 / Fred’s Ride.............................................................................155 26 / In Montreal...........................................................................159 27 / A Home Becomes a Shrine.....................................................167 28 / The Journey West..................................................................173 29 / Unique One of the Orient.....................................................179 30 / At the Home of Science.........................................................185 31 / Unity among Religions..........................................................191 32 / A Firm Believer......................................................................197 33 / Gatherings of Unity...............................................................205 34 / Become Brilliant Lamps.........................................................209 Discussion Questions....................................................................213 Notes............................................................................................227 Bibliography..................................................................................245
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Preface to the Centenary Edition When ‘Abdu’l-Bahá visited North America in 1912, our communities were grappling with challenges that still trouble us today. Among them is racial injustice, which has long deprived many individuals of true freedom. In the early 1900s, even more so than now, schools and neighborhoods across the United States were segregated by race. Opportunities for people of color were restricted by racist laws and policies or by deeply held prejudices. But as the Son of Bahá’u’lláh, the Bahá’í Faith’s Founder, ‘Abdu’lBahá held a radically different view of racial diversity. He toured the land for eight months, warmly embracing people of all cultures and backgrounds. At times He compared diverse races to colorful flowers or sparkling jewels. At an integrated event in Washington, D.C., He joyfully exclaimed, “How beautiful to see blacks and whites together!” He confronted the assumptions of the time with a promising vision of
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oneness: “My hope is that the white and the black will be united in perfect love and fellowship, with complete unity and brotherhood.”* When ‘Abdu’l-Bahá returned home to what is now Israel, He continued to send loving guidance to the West. In 1916 and 1917, as World War I raged, He wrote fourteen prayer-filled letters to the Bahá’ís of the United States and Canada. He had unshakable faith in our potential for peace-building, writing, “Exert yourselves; your mission is unspeakably glorious. Should success crown your enterprise, America will assuredly evolve into a center from which waves of spiritual power will emanate. . . .”* Clearly, the path to this destiny is full of setbacks and challenges. Today, a century after the passing of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, the United States is still polluted by racism. Cross-racial friendships and vibrantly diverse neighborhoods and schools are far from commonplace. Systemic racism persists in housing, education, employment, policing—everywhere, in fact. Creating equity takes diligent, ongoing effort. At this point in history, the global Bahá’í community pauses to reflect on the life of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Who exemplified the Bahá’í teachings. He left this world in the early hours of November 28, 1921, in Haifa, Israel. Messages flew around the world, bringing condolences to His family from government officials and from broken-hearted Bahá’ís. The next day, about 10,000 mourners gathered in the streets of Haifa to pay their respects. They included people from every walk of life. Men, women, and children followed His coffin up the slope of * ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, The Promulgation of Universal Peace, p. 602. * ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Tablets of the Divine Plan, no. 11. x
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Mount Carmel. Muslim, Christian, and Jewish dignitaries gave speeches praising His kindness and wisdom. Newspapers around the globe published stories about Him. His earthly remains were laid to rest in a chamber of the Shrine of the Báb, the Prophet Herald of the Bahá’í Faith. Just as ‘Abdu’l-Bahá had served those in need during His lifetime, generosity poured out in His name. In the first week after His passing, hundreds of the poor were fed at His home. On the seventh day, corn was distributed to about a thousand people. On the fortieth day, a memorial feast was held for six hundred, including high-ranking officials, and a hundred of the poor were given sustenance. A century has now passed since ‘Abdu’l-Bahá walked on the Earth. Still, His words, actions, and devotion continue to guide millions of Bahá’ís and friends of the Bahá’í Faith. As we commemorate His life at this turning point, we can strive, as He did, to welcome all people with friendship and love. In the stories and excerpts collected here, we meet some of the people whose lives were transformed by encountering ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. We learn about their reactions to His inspiring words and all-encompassing love. And we can take action to right the wrongs He urged us to address so long ago. In His Will and Testament, read publicly in January 1922, ‘Abdu’lBahá gave us these marching orders: It is incumbent upon everyone to show the utmost love, rectitude of conduct, straightforwardness and sincere kindliness unto all the peoples and kindreds of the world, be they friends or strangxi
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ers. So intense must be the spirit of love and loving kindness, that the stranger may find himself a friend, the enemy a true brother, no difference whatsoever existing between them. . . . Consort with all the peoples, kindreds and religions of the world with the utmost truthfulness, uprightness, faithfulness, kindliness, goodwill and friendliness, that all the world of being may be filled with the holy ecstasy of the grace of Bahá, that ignorance, enmity, hate and rancor may vanish from the world and the darkness of estrangement amidst the peoples and kindreds of the world may give way to the Light of Unity.* February 2021
* ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Will and Testament of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, no. 1.23. xii
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Arrival April 11, 1912, was a bright, sunny morning. At the pier in New York Harbor, hundreds of people were pressed together, waiting for the arrival of the steamship Cedric. The 700-foot (213 m) ship had traveled from Egypt to Italy, and then crossed the Atlantic Ocean to arrive in the United States. At that time, the only way to travel across the ocean was by ship. A year earlier, a plane built by Wilbur and Orville Wright’s company had been flown across the United States, from New York to California. But regular flights to take passengers across the Atlantic wouldn’t be available for another twenty-seven years. As the Cedric came into view, the crowd on the pier waved their hats and handkerchiefs joyfully. They were members of the Bahá’í Faith— a religion that had been known in the United States for only about twenty years. They were eagerly awaiting one passenger—‘Abdu’lBahá, the leader of their Faith. 7
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The American Bahá’ís had sent thousands of dollars to help pay for ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s journey. But He returned the money immediately, and took on all of the expenses Himself. Some friends had urged Him to leave the Cedric in Italy and travel to England, so He could sail on the maiden voyage of the magnificent new ship, the Titanic. But ‘Abdu’lBahá preferred to travel simply. He made the entire trip on the Cedric. Later, when they learned of the Titanic’s tragic sinking, the Bahá’ís were grateful for ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s choice to remain on the Cedric. Just a few years earlier, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá had been allowed to leave the city of ‘Akká, in what is now Israel, for the first time in forty years. Innocent of any crime, He, along with His family, had been held captive by the government because of His belief in the Bahá’í Faith, the religion founded by His Father, Bahá’u’lláh. During all those years of injustice, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá never pleaded for His freedom. He said, “I was thankful for the prison, and the lack of liberty was very pleasing to me, for those days were passed in the path of service. . . .”1 Even though He was a prisoner in ‘Akká, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá cared for the poor and the sick. Many people came to Him for advice— even government officials. He wrote encouraging letters of guidance to Bahá’ís around the world, and He always put the needs of others before His own. During part of His imprisonment with His family, He slept on a mat on the floor, covered by a flea-infested blanket. Now, at the age of sixty-seven, in poor health from years of hardship, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá had arrived in the West. He was eager to meet with the Bahá’ís of North America, a group that numbered only about twelve hundred at that time. And He wanted to tell the public about the
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Bahá’í teachings. Over the next eight months, He gave talks across the United States and Canada about topics such as the need to establish world peace, unity among all religions and races, and the equality of women and men. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá had three people traveling with Him: His nephew, Dr. Amínu’lláh Faríd, a physician who translated ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s Persian words into English; Siyyid Asadu’lláh-i-Qumí; and Ma¥múd-iZarqání. Ma¥múd kept a careful diary of events during the journey. A tugboat chugged out to meet the Cedric, bringing newspaper reporters who wanted to interview ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. He stood on the ship’s upper deck. His long tan robe and black cloak flapped in the breeze. A white turban perched on His head over His long white hair. One reporter wrote, “His face was light itself as he scanned the harbor and greeted the reporters. . . .” When the ship pulled past the Statue of Liberty, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá held His arms wide and said, “There is the new world’s symbol of liberty and freedom. After being forty years a prisoner I can tell you that freedom is not a matter of place. It is a condition. . . . When one is released from the prison of self, that is indeed a release.” One of the reporters asked, “What is a Bahá’í?” ‘Abdu’l-Bahá replied, “To be a Bahá’í simply means to love all the world, to love humanity and try to serve it; to work for Universal Peace, and the Universal Brotherhood.”2 Shortly after noon, the ship reached its pier. Most ocean liners docked at the Chelsea Piers, which were flanked by grand buildings with an imposing arched entrance.
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