The Sin of Disobedience

[Juliet Thompson was on pilgrimage in ‘Akká. On the evening of 4 July 1909, after a day spent with the pilgrims, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá dismissed them, saying, “Go and rest.”]

Alas for the sin of disobedience! He had said "Go and rest." But we were so anxious to write down His words while they were fresh in our minds that we stayed in the dining room until late, and—shameful to confess after our day in Heaven!—began to argue about the New York Assembly: as to whether or not it was united! Mr Kinney declared that it was. I said it was not. I even went so far as to mention the breeder of the discord, to condemn her destructive work! But when X and I crept off to the room we were temporarily occupying—crept through the black, vaulted halls and rooms, over the old stone floors, to the rear wing of the house—a feeling of guilt such as I could hardly bear consumed me.

Next morning when I met our Lord outside the dining room door, in the sunny little court I so love because it is associated with His footsteps, with the benediction of His Presence, looking with eyes that ... forgave? ... no, that understood ... deep, deep into my eyes, He put out His hand and took mine in a clasp of love.

Source: The Diary of Juliet Thompson, ch. 2, “The ‘Akká Diary” (July 1909).

Collected from bahaistories.com (Subject: forgiveness-gods).

Various. *bahaistories.com archive*. https://bahaistories.com/subject/forgiveness-gods