Christmas Night at the Salvation Army Shelter
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When in Bahá'í history
London (today: Westminster, London, England)
On Christmas night ‘Abdu’l-Bahá visited the poor of the Salvation Army Shelter, Westminster, where each year a Christmas dinner is provided for those who have no homes and no friends, and but for the shelter would have no lodgings. There were about 1,000 present on this occasion. It was a most impressive scene—the dinner for the homeless and the Master from the East delivering Christ's message to the poor. As a true test of attention, many of the hungry men forgot to eat and listened intently.
With that wonderful tact ‘Abdu’l-Bahá displays on all occasions, His message to the homeless was simple, direct and short. He said: "I feel tonight great joy and happiness to be in this place, because my meetings and callings have ever been mostly with the poor, and I call myself one of them. My lot has ever been with those who have not the goods of this world. …"
At the close of His talk, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá made a practical demonstration of His tactful love for the poor. In generous conformity with Bahá’u’lláh's teachings that "our words should not exceed our deeds," He left twenty golden sovereigns and many handfuls of silver with Colonel Spencer of the Army, so that the poor might enjoy a similar dinner New Year's night. Colonel Spencer told the men that they were to have this New Year's dinner in ‘Abdu’l-Bahá's honour. The Master was just leaving the hall when this announcement was made. With one accord the men jumped up and waving their knives and forks gave a rousing farewell cheer.
Source: Isabel Fraser, "Abdul-Baha at the 'Salvation Army' Shelter, London, England, Christmas Night, 1912," Star of the West, vol. 3, no. 18 (7 February 1913), pp. 8–9.
Collected from bahaistories.com (Subject: generosity).
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