Children Were Never Afraid of Him
bahaistories.com archive · Read original
When in Bahá'í history
London (today: London, UK)
During Christmas week of 1912 in London, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá went to a Christmas party for the poor, and He was so kind to the children that some of them thought He was Father Christmas and sang a song in His praise! Children always loved Him, and though they were not used to seeing a visitor from the East in a white turban and long Persian coat, they were never afraid of Him.
One day at East Sheen, the three small children of Mr. and Mrs. Jenner clambered on to His knee, clung round His neck, and remained as quiet as mice while He spoke, stroking the hair of the little ones and saying: "Blessed are the children, of whom His Holiness Christ said: 'Of such are the Kingdom of Heaven.' Children have no worldly ambitions. Their hearts are pure. We must become like children, crowning our heads with the crown of severance (from all material things of the earth); purifying our hearts, that we may see God in His Great Manifestations, and obey the laws brought to us by those, His Messengers."
When He first came to England and stayed in a village not far from London, the village children followed Him in the street, and He gave them shillings and sixpences from the pockets of His long coat. At Esslingen in Germany, when the children presented Him with flowers, He gave them boxes of chocolates and sweets.
Sources: H. M. Balyuzi, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá: The Centre of the Covenant, pp. 351 and 382–3; Lady Blomfield, The Chosen Highway, "‘Abdu’l-Bahá in London"; Annamarie Honnold, Vignettes from the Life of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, pp. 73–4.
Collected from bahaistories.com (Subject: abdul-baha-and-children).
Cite this story
Various. *bahaistories.com archive*. https://bahaistories.com/subject/abdul-baha-and-children
Record yourself reading this story
Recording stays on this device only. Nothing is uploaded.
Related stories
The French Teacher in the Master's Home
Letitia, a Catholic girl who taught French in the Master's home, was embarrassed after interpreting for a pilgrim. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá assured her that no one would try to make a Bahá’í of her.
The Photograph in the Shop Window
An American mother reached ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s house in Paris two days before He left. Her little daughter had pointed to His photograph on a magazine in a shop and cried that it was the Lord Jesus.
An Eastern Husband
Recalling a gathering of children years later, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá told how He had jokingly asked a little girl to marry one of the boys, and she answered that she wanted an Eastern husband.
Half an Hour with Jeffrey Parsons
On His first morning in Washington, amid many interviews, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá spent half an hour with Agnes Parsons’ young son Jeffrey, looking at his toys, books and pictures before they went up to the roof to see the view.