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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.

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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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VOYAGE OF LOVE

Among the group of people waiting at the pier for ‘Abdu’l-Bahá to go ashore was Marjory Morten, who was not yet a Bahá’í but had come with a Bahá’í named Juliet Thompson and another friend. Marjory and her husband, Alexander, were wealthy leaders in New York society. They often held gatherings at their stately home, which was filled with exquisite works of art. They also donated money to help artists, including the famous Lebanese poet, Kahlil Gibran.

Marjory and Juliet had been worried that ‘Abdu’l-Bahá wouldn’t like to be part of a huge public crowd. They were right. Soon a loving message came from ‘Abdu’l-Bahá asking the Bahá’ís to wait to meet Him later that afternoon at the home of a Bahá’í family that lived in New York, the Kinneys.

Though she wasn’t surprised, Marjory felt that even a few hours seemed too long to wait. She told her friends, “I can’t leave till I’ve seen Him. I can’t! I won’t!”3

As the crowd drifted away from the pier and through the entrance, Marjorie and her friends found a large niche in a stone wall. They squeezed together in the spot and waited to see ‘Abdu’l-Bahá leave the pier. A Bahá’í had offered his car to ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. Marjory and her friends saw the car move down the street outside the pier. Suddenly, the car stopped right in front of the spot where they hid. They were sure they would be caught and would then feel embarrassed for disregarding ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s wishes. But still, Marjory stubbornly refused to leave.

Finally, she saw Him. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá walked through the pier entrance with His companions, and strode energetically toward the

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car. He radiated peace and love. His white hair and beard flowed majestically. His deep blue eyes sparkled.

Marjory later said, “From the moment I saw Him, I could not take my eyes off Him. He stopped a few yards away. I saw His face plainly. A face on which all sorrow was written, all joy. I knew then Who He was.”

She turned to Juliet and whispered, “He didn’t see us.”4

But just before ‘Abdu’l-Bahá got into the car, He turned toward the three hiding women and smiled directly at them.

“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.” —‘Abdu’l-Bahá

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