14 / Shining Stars

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Shining Stars

“Whenever and wherever there were children, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá would go to them and they would come to Him. . . . He was always prepared to meet and please His visitors, be they high or low, children or poor. And aside from being the treasure of knowledge and wisdom and the ocean of all things of the spirit, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá always kept Himself well supplied with material things to bestow upon those who went to Him. Flowers, candy, money, clothing . . . these were for distribution among the friends and the needy and everybody else but Himself.”1

Early in the morning on May 5, the Bahá’í children eagerly gathered in the parlor of the Plaza Hotel with their parents. When ‘Abdu’l-Bahá came into the room, the children all began to sing for Him. He carried two baskets filled with flowers—one with roses and the other with carnations. The baskets also held sealed envelopes. The children were coming from all over Chicago, and none of the Bahá’ís had known how many would arrive.

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‘Abdu’l-Bahá called each child, and each one came up to greet Him. He whispered to them in English, asking their names, and they answered joyfully. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá gave each child a rose, a carnation, and an envelope filled with rose petals. There were three roses, carnations, and envelopes left in the baskets after He had greeted each child. Then three more children rushed in. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá hurried over to them and gave them the remaining gifts.

Then He spoke to them:

You are the children of whom Christ has said, “Of such is the kingdom of God”; and according to the words of Bahá’u’lláh you are the very lamps or candles of the world of humanity, for your hearts are exceedingly pure and your spirits most sensitive. . . . May you develop so that each one of you shall become imbued with all the virtues of the human world. May you advance in all material and spiritual degrees. May you become learned in sciences, acquire the arts and crafts, prove to be useful members of human society and assist the progress of human civilization. May you be a cause of the manifestation of divine bestowals—each one of you a shining star radiating the light of the oneness of humanity toward the horizons of the East and West. May you be devoted to the love and unity of mankind, and through your efforts may the reality deposited in the human heart find its divine expression. I pray for you, asking the assistance and confirmation of God in your behalf.

You are all my children, my spiritual children. Spiritual children are dearer than physical children, for it is possible for physi-

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cal children to turn away from the Spirit of God, but you are spiritual children and, therefore, you are most beloved. I wish for you progress in every degree of development. May God assist you. May you be surrounded by the beneficent light of His countenance, and may you attain maturity under His nurture and protection. You are all blessed.2

‘Abdu’l-Bahá then addressed the children’s parents, and His words included this advice:

Be in perfect unity. Never become angry with one another. Let your eyes be directed toward the kingdom of truth and not toward the world of creation. Love the creatures for the sake of God and not for themselves. You will never become angry or impatient if you love them for the sake of God. Humanity is not perfect. There are imperfections in every human being, and you will always be unhappy if you look toward the people themselves. But if you look toward God, you will love them and be kind to them, for the world of God is the world of perfection and complete mercy. Therefore, do not look at the shortcomings of anybody; see with the sight of forgiveness. The imperfect eye beholds imperfections. The eye that covers faults looks toward the Creator of souls.3

‘Abdu’l-Bahá walked slowly around the circle of children, touching each one’s head in a loving blessing. Then He walked with the group to Lincoln Park, which stretched for several miles along the shore of Lake Michigan. Albert Kilius, a Bahá’í photographer who had traveled

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to Chicago from Spokane, Washington, was waiting to photograph ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. Albert took several photographs, including one of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá with a group of children and adults.

After they returned to Spokane, Albert and his wife, Annie, sent more than seven hundred photos to ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. Albert continued to make copies of the photographs throughout his life. He never charged anyone for them, even when he had little money. In the years ahead, Annie corresponded with ‘Abdu’l-Bahá and He encouraged her to share the Bahá’í Faith with others.

After leaving Chicago, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá briefly visited Cleveland, Pittsburgh, and Washington, D.C. He had promised to attend a peace conference in New York, and as that date approached, His companion Ma¥múd said, “He moved like lightning from place to place. . . . In a very short time He accomplished many great tasks. Because the meetings in these cities had been scheduled in advance, several were held in one day and thousands of people were attracted and transformed by Him.”4

When in Pittsburgh, many of the Bahá’ís asked ‘Abdu’l-Bahá if He was pleased with His rooms at the hotel. To each He replied, “Khaili khoob! Khaili khoob!” (“Very good! Very good!”) When His visitors had left, He turned to a Bahá’í named Dr. Zia Bagdadi and said with a smile, “The friends here are anxious to know if I like these rooms! They do not know what we had to go through in the past. Imagine the conditions and surroundings when we were exiled by the Turkish Government and were imprisoned in the barracks of ‘Akká; Bahá’u’lláh occupied one room; His family and several other families were forced to occupy one room. Aside from the severe illness that was raging, and

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the death of many among us prisoners—adults and children—on account of unsanitary surroundings and starvation, I noticed that my own presence in that crowded room was another source of torture to all of them. This was due to the fact that parents and children were suppressing and restraining themselves by trying to be quiet and polite in my presence. So, in order to give them freedom, I accepted the morgue of the barracks, because that was the only room available, and I lived in it for about two years. Now the kind friends here wish to know if I like these magnificent rooms!”5

“You are all my children, my spiritual children.”

—‘Abdu’l-Bahá

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