‘Abdu’l-Bahá one day went to Schenectady, New York, where He visited the…
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When in Bahá'í history
New York (today: New York, USA)
‘Abdu’l-Bahá one day went to Schenectady, New York, where He visited the General Electric's Works along with Stanwood Cobb and Rev. Moore. His guide was Charles Steinmetz, known as the "Wizard of Electricity" because of his development of alternating current. Cobb noticed that the Wizard of Electricity was eagerly absorbing ‘Abdu’l-Bahá's elucidation of electricity. Rev. Moore said that "Steinmetz's jaw seemed to drop open as he drank in ‘Abdu’l-Bahá's talk. Stanwood Cobb reported that Edward (Saffa) Kinney once asked ‘Abdu’l-Bahá if He knew everything. The Master responded by saying, "No, I do not know everything but when I need to know something, it is pictured before Me."
Source: Earl Redman, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá in Their Midst, p. 149-150
Collected from bahaistories.com (Subject: intuition).
Discuss this story
For adults
- Read the closing lines once more. What single phrase stays with you?
- What does the setting of this account contribute to its meaning?
- If you were to share this story aloud at a devotional gathering, which sentence would you read first?
For teens
- If you were in 'Abdu'l-Bahá's place, what might you have done?
- What does this story teach about devotion?
Reflection
- Read the passage a second time, slowly. What did you notice that you missed the first time?
- What in this account feels timely? What feels timeless?
- If you could bring one quality from this story into your next conversation, what would it be?
Comprehension quiz
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Where does this story take place?
What period of Bahá'í history does this story belong to?
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Cite this story
Various. *bahaistories.com archive*. https://bahaistories.com/subject/intuition
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