Man’s Comprehension of God and of Higher Worlds
'Abdu'l-Bahá, 'Abdu'l-Bahá in London, (1912) · Read original
Studio narration for this story is coming — it’ll be generated by the cloud-TTS pipeline (voice: auto-selected from the source author).
When in Bahá'í history
London (today: London, UK)
To man, the Essence of God is incomprehensible, so also are the worlds beyond this, and their condition. It is given to man to obtain knowledge, to attain to great spiritual perfection, to discover hidden truths and to manifest even the attributes of God; but still man cannot comprehend the Essence of God. Where the ever-widening circle of man’s knowledge meets the spiritual world a Manifestation of God is sent to mirror forth His splendour.
Source: 'Abdu'l-Bahá, 'Abdu'l-Bahá in London (1912). Public domain text from Project Gutenberg eBook #19250.
Discuss this story
For adults
- Read the closing lines once more. What single phrase stays with you?
- What might 'Abdu'l-Bahá's example ask of us in our own circumstances?
- If you were to share this story aloud at a devotional gathering, which sentence would you read first?
For teens
- Who is someone you know who lives out devotion the way this story describes?
- If you were going to tell a friend this story in two sentences, what would you say?
Reflection
- 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?
- Is there someone in your life who would be helped by hearing this story?
Comprehension quiz
Which source is "Man’s Comprehension of God and of Higher Worlds" drawn from?
Where does this story take place?
What period of Bahá'í history does this story belong to?
Which historical figure is featured most prominently in this story?
Cite this story
'Abdu'l-Bahá. (1912). *'Abdu'l-Bahá in London*. https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/19250/pg19250-images.html
Record yourself reading this story
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