It Was Nothing but Affection
Juliet Thompson, The Diary of Juliet Thompson, (1947), Kalimát Press · Read original
When in Bahá'í history
A retelling based on The Diary of Juliet Thompson (Kalimát Press; diary entry for 25 August 1911). The narrative is retold in our own words; the lines in quotation marks are verbatim from the Diary. Read the full text for Juliet's own account.
In August 1911 'Abdu'l-Bahá was staying at the Hotel du Parc in Thonon, on the French shore of Lake Geneva, and He had sent for Juliet Thompson to come to Him there. Early on the morning of 25 August He called her into His room, with Tamaddunu'l-Mulk as interpreter.
After they had talked for a while, Juliet asked if she might sit on the floor. "But you will be tired," He said. She sat at His feet. "This is like 'Akká," she said. Then, to surprise Him, she told Him in Persian that she loved Him very, very much.
Taking her hand and pressing it, 'Abdu'l-Bahá spoke in Persian to Tamaddunu'l-Mulk. The interpreter had already told Juliet that slanderous letters about her had reached the Master. Now he gave her the Master's words: "He is praising you very much. He says that your heart is pure. He Himself bears witness to this."
"If He says this," Juliet answered, "it makes no difference what the people say."
The Master spoke again, and Tamaddunu'l-Mulk translated:
He says He sent for you out of pure affection. It was nothing but affection. There was no other motive in His sending for you.
He had promised to send for her again, the interpreter explained, and He thought that while He was in Europe she could come to Europe more easily than to 'Akká.
Juliet asked Him to fill her with His love, so that she might show her gratitude by true service in America. The answer came that she was already full of love for Him, and that her devotion to the Cause was itself service. When she said she felt she had failed in all she had tried to do since she last left Him, He told her that her weakness would be turned into strength. Then He spoke to her directly in English: "You will be strong—strong, and when you go back this time you will have a greater power."
A retelling based on The Diary of Juliet Thompson. For the fuller account, see the original.
Cite this story
Thompson, J.. (1947). *The Diary of Juliet Thompson*. Kalimát Press. https://bahai-library.com/thompson_diary
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