12 / Temple of Unity

12

Temple of Unity

When ‘Abdu’l-Bahá arrived in Chicago on April 29, He told the Bahá’ís, “You have a beautiful city. . . . Just as this city is lighted with electric light, I hope that it may become lighted with the Light of the Kingdom. . . . I like Chicago very much, for the call of Bahá’u’lláh was first raised in this city.”1

Chicago became the first city in the United States to mention the Bahá’í Faith in 1893, at a huge fair called the World’s Columbian Exposition. The event had rides, music, art galleries, science exhibits, cultural displays, and meetings on topics of the day. It also had the world’s first Ferris wheel—which held more than 2,000 riders! Millions of people attended the fair during the six months it was open.

A fascinating part of the fair was the World’s Parliament of Religions. For the first time, Christians, Jews, Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists, and people from other faiths gathered to learn from each other. The Bahá’í Faith was included in a report from a Christian minister who had been

75

VOYAGE OF LOVE

living in the Middle East. Although he misunderstood the Bahá’í teachings, he did share this quote from Bahá’u’lláh:

That all nations should become one in faith and all men as brothers; that the bonds of affection and unity between the sons of men should be strengthened; that diversity of religion should cease and differences of race be annulled; what harm is there in this? Yet so it shall be. These fruitless strifes, these ruinous wars shall pass away, and the ‘Most Great Peace’ shall come.2

Parts of the missionary’s report were also printed in Chicago newspapers. Soon after, a Middle Eastern Bahá’í came to Chicago and began teaching Bahá’í classes. The following year, a man who lived in Chicago named Thornton Chase became the first American Bahá’í. By 1899, about seven hundred Bahá’ís were living in Chicago.

One Chicago woman who made a lasting contribution to the Bahá’í community was Corinne True. Corinne and her husband Moses suffered many tragedies in their family life. When Corinne was thirty, their daughter, who was nearly nine, died from a falling accident. Several years later, four of Corinne’s children became very ill with diphtheria, a disease that causes breathing problems and heart damage. Today, due to vaccinations, diphtheria is extremely rare. But at that time, no vaccinations or antibiotics were available, and diphtheria took thousands of lives each year. Corinne nursed the ill children for months. The older children recovered, but three-year-old Nathanael died.

Corinne had been raised as a Christian—her father was a Presbyterian minister. But in her grief at losing her children, she began to search for

76

TEMPLE OF UNITY

new spiritual comfort. One day, a friend who had been to an inspiring Bahá’í lecture suggested that Corinne attend. Corinne did. She immediately said to herself, “This is it.” When she got home, her husband, Moses, knew she had found the faith she needed.

Like most new Bahá’ís at that time, Corinne wrote to ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. He answered her with comfort about Nathanael: “Be not grieved nor troubled because of the loss which hath befallen thee. . . . know that thy pure son shall be with thee in the Kingdom of God and thou shalt witness his smiling face, illumined brow, handsome spirit and real happiness.”3 A few weeks later, another outbreak of diphtheria hit Chicago. Corinne’s seven-year-old twins, Katherine and Kenneth, became seriously ill. Corinne prayed for them and read ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s letter often. Katherine recovered, but Kenneth passed away. Another message from ‘Abdu’l-Bahá gave Corinne strength. He wrote, “Know thou, that thy beloved son hath soared, with the wing of soul, up to the loftiest height which is never-ending in the Kingdom of God. . . . Wert thou informed of the position in which is thy son, thy face would be illumined by the lights of happiness. . . .”4

Corinne’s new faith helped her to endure the loss of another child. She also comforted Moses and their remaining five children. Everyone was amazed at her strength.

Soon Corinne began to devote much of her time and energy to the Bahá’í Faith. Moses supported her, and he never complained about her being away from the family for meetings. Although Corinne was grateful for his kindness, she longed to share the Bahá’í Faith with Moses. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá sent a prayer for Corinne to say for her husband:

77

VOYAGE OF LOVE

O my Lord! Make the eyes of my husband to see. Rejoice Thou his heart with the light of the knowledge of Thee, draw Thou his mind unto Thy luminous beauty, cheer Thou his spirit by revealing unto him Thy manifest splendors.

O my Lord! Lift Thou the veil from before his sight. Rain down Thy plenteous bounties upon him, intoxicate him with the wine of love for Thee, make him one of Thy angels whose feet walk upon this earth even as their souls are soaring through the high heavens. Cause him to become a brilliant lamp, shining out with the light of Thy wisdom in the midst of Thy people.

Verily Thou art the Precious, the Ever-Bestowing, the Open of Hand.5

In 1903, some Chicago Bahá’ís learned that work had begun on the first Bahá’í Temple in the world, in far-away ‘Ishqábád, in what is now Turkmenistan. Immediately, they wrote to ‘Abdu’l-Bahá and asked permission to build a Temple in the United States. He approved their request. Shortly afterward, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá wrote to Corinne, “Whosoever arises for the service of this building shall be assisted with a great power from His Supreme Kingdom and upon him spiritual and heavenly blessings shall descend. . . .”6

Over the next few years, the Bahá’ís began to contribute funds for the Temple. Then, in 1906, the Chicago Bahá’ís made an effort to unify Bahá’ís around the country in support of the project. They sent a petition to all the Bahá’ís in North America, asking them to sign if they wished to help build the Temple. Nearly eight hundred signatures

78

TEMPLE OF UNITY

were collected. Moses True compiled them on a scroll to be delivered to ‘Abdu’l-Bahá.

That same year, Corinne and Moses lost their oldest son, Laurence, when he drowned in a sailing accident. Again, Corinne’s faith gave her the strength to console her family. She received another comforting letter from ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. This time, Corinne was filled with a strong desire to meet ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. Though she feared long-distance travel, she asked His permission to journey to ‘Akká with her daughter, Arna, who was about sixteen. Corinne was entrusted with the Temple petition, along with a suitcase full of letters, photos, and gifts from many Bahá’ís—including a shawl, a fruitcake, and a crocheted mat.

When Corinne and Arna arrived in ‘Akká, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá welcomed them warmly, bringing a bouquet of purple and pink hyacinths. Corinne said, “I found Him to be a powerful Dynamo—a Lion—as well as the Most Majestic Personage I ever hope to see.”7

The next day, Corinne and Arna met with ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. Corinne put the scroll on the sofa and began giving Him the gifts and photos from the Bahá’ís. But before she could present the scroll, He walked across the room, reached for it, and held it up in the air. “This is what gives me great joy,” He said. “Go back and work for the Temple; it is a great work.” He told Corinne that she had done well, and that she was His own daughter.8

‘Abdu’l-Bahá gave Corinne instructions about the Temple. He said it should be built on the shore of Lake Michigan, away from the business district of Chicago. He said the building should have nine sides, and be surrounded by nine gardens, with a fountain in each. He

79

VOYAGE OF LOVE

looked intensely at Corinne and said, “Devote yourself to this project— make a beginning, and all will come right.”9

When Corinne returned home, she immediately wrote letters to Bahá’ís around the country, explaining the importance of the Temple project. Soon contributions began to arrive. For many weeks, she and a friend traveled by horse-drawn streetcar to the north of Chicago, then hiked through fields, seeking land for the Temple. Finally, she found a site in what is now Wilmette, Illinois, and felt it was “the chosen place.” In 1908, the Bahá’ís purchased about a half acre of the land and began to gather there occasionally.

Corinne wrote to ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, suggesting that a group made up of Bahá’ís from around the country should make decisions about the Temple. He approved, and the Bahá’í Temple Unity was formed in 1909. Corinne served as its financial secretary for thirteen years.

Moses found real joy in serving others at his wife’s side. He was naturally outgoing, and he was happy to welcome people of all faiths and backgrounds into their home. He didn’t openly declare his belief in the Bahá’í Faith. But in late 1909, while the Trues were hosting a Bahá’í gathering, Moses said to a guest, “If the Revelation is as you say it is . . . then I am a Bahá’í.”10

Corinne and her daughters noticed that Moses was especially joyful during the next two weeks, but they could tell he was physically weak. Then one morning, he had a sudden heart attack and passed away. Corinne grieved for her husband, but as always, her faith sustained her. She urged her children to think about the progress of their father’s soul rather than their own sadness.

80

TEMPLE OF UNITY

Corinne continued to work enthusiastically on the Temple project. Because of her tireless and passionate work, Bahá’ís around the world came to affectionately call her “Mother of the Temple.” Corinne received strength and guidance from more than fifty letters sent to her by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá throughout her life.

On the morning of April 30, 1912, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s second day in Chicago, He learned that Corinne True’s son Davis was seriously ill. He immediately left the hotel for her home.

‘Abdu’l-Bahá spent a long time with Davis. Then He walked across the hall to another room. He paced back and forth across the room, and repeatedly cried out fervently, “The calamities in this house must cease.”11

When He went downstairs, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá told Corinne that Davis was much better than expected. She was thrilled, and felt sure that her son would recover. At ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s invitation, Corinne joined Him while He gave three speeches that day.

First ‘Abdu’l-Bahá spoke at a community center called Hull House, which provided adult classes, child care, children’s activities, a library, and many other services for the poor of Chicago. After His talk, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá stood among the crowd of children and adults, and gave each person a quarter or half-dollar.

Hull House had been co-founded by Jane Addams, who was well known as a writer, speaker, and promoter of international peace. In 1931, she became the first American woman to receive the Nobel Peace Prize. Today, the Jane Addams Hull House Association serves 60,000 people from dozens of sites throughout the Chicago area.

81

VOYAGE OF LOVE

Next, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá spoke to the Fourth Annual Conference of the NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People). The NAACP was founded in 1909 to help stop injustice toward African Americans in the United States. It was supported by people of many backgrounds, including Jane Addams and the noted scholar and writer W.E.B. DuBois. Today, the NAACP continues to promote racial equality worldwide.

Finally, in the evening, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá addressed more than one thousand people at a meeting of the Bahá’í Temple Unity. ‘Abdu’lBahá explained the importance of the Temple. He called it the Mashriqu’l-Adhkár, an Arabic term that means “the dawning place of the mention of God”:

The original purpose of temples and houses of worship is simply that of unity—places of meeting where various peoples, different races and souls of every capacity may come together in order that love and agreement should be manifest between them. That is why Bahá’u’lláh has commanded that a place of worship be built for all the religionists of the world; that all religions, races and sects may come together within its universal shelter; that the proclamation of the oneness of mankind shall go forth from its open courts of holiness—the announcement that humanity is the servant of God and that all are submerged in the ocean of His mercy. It is the Mashriqu’l Adhkár. . . .

I pray in your behalf that your hearts may be enlightened with the light of the love of God; that your minds may develop daily;

82

TEMPLE OF UNITY

that your spirits may become aglow with the fire and illumination of His glad tidings, until these divine foundations may become established throughout the human world. . . .

O Thou kind Lord! This gathering is turning to Thee. These hearts are radiant with Thy love. These minds and spirits are exhilarated by the message of Thy glad tidings. O God! Let this American democracy become glorious in spiritual degrees even as it has aspired to material degrees, and render this just government victorious. Confirm this revered nation to upraise the standard of the oneness of humanity, to promulgate the Most Great Peace, to become thereby most glorious and praiseworthy among all the nations of the world. O God! This American nation is worthy of Thy favors and is deserving of Thy mercy. Make it precious and near to Thee through Thy bounty and bestowal.12

After ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s talk, the audience sang “Temple Song,” composed by a Bahá’í musician named Louise Waite. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá then gave a financial gift to the Temple Fund.

When Corinne returned home, she realized that when ‘Abdu’l-Bahá had told her that her son was better than expected, He must have been talking about Davis’s spiritual health. While she was out, Davis had passed away peacefully. Corinne was comforted to learn that a few moments before he died, Davis had whispered, “O ‘Abdu’l-Bahá! I love you! I love you!”13

83

VOYAGE OF LOVE

“The original purpose of temples and houses of worship is simply that . . . different races and souls of every capacity may come together in order that love and agreement should be manifest between them.” —‘Abdu’l-Bahá

84