Ten Days Across the Sea

A retelling for children, based on Mahmúd's Diary, from the entries written during the sea voyage of March and April, 1912.

Early one spring morning, a great ship called the Cedric pulled away from the harbor at Alexandria, in Egypt. On board was 'Abdu'l-Bahá, with a small group of friends who traveled with Him — among them a man named Mírzá Maḥmúd, who carefully wrote down all that happened. Ahead of them lay ten long days on the wide Atlantic Ocean, and at the far end of all that water waited a brand-new land: America.

It was a very big journey for 'Abdu'l-Bahá to make. He was sixty-eight years old. And here is something hard to imagine: of all those years, He had spent forty-seven of them as a prisoner, far from home. A long sea voyage and a whole continent of new cities would have tired out a much younger person. The friends in America had even written to ask if He was strong enough to come. He told them simply that He was — and now here He was, sailing across the sea to them.

On the ship, 'Abdu'l-Bahá lived very simply. He woke before the sun came up and prayed quietly in His room. When it was time to eat, He could have chosen the fanciest part of the ship — some of His friends wanted Him to. But He said no, and ate with His party in a plainer dining room instead.

In the mornings He liked to be out on the deck, with the salt wind and the rolling sea all around, talking with His friends. A few of the other passengers began to notice Him and recognize Him as the days went by. In the afternoon He always rested. And in the evening the good talk began again.

Often He spoke about the friends He could not wait to meet in America. He even said some of their names out loud, like someone counting up the people he loves. There was Lua, who had already journeyed to see Him long before. There was Howard, whose home would be the very first place He would visit. There was Roy, who was getting his house ready to welcome Him. 'Abdu'l-Bahá was crossing an entire ocean, and His heart was already there with each of them.

One day on that voyage, He said something that explained the whole reason for the trip:

We have come to America that the friends may see Us and that the truth may be proclaimed.

He had not crossed the sea to go sightseeing, even though there would be many new things to see. He had not come just to rest, even though the quiet ship gave Him some rest. He had come for the friends — so they could finally see Him with their own eyes — and so that the truth could be shared aloud with a whole new land.

At last, after ten days at sea, the Cedric sailed up the river into the city of New York. The long crossing was over, and the great American journey was about to begin.

When 'Abdu'l-Bahá loved people, He did not let an entire ocean stand in the way. He gave His time, His strength, and a very long, tiring journey to be near them and to share the truth. Real love is willing to travel a long, long way.

This is a retelling for children. For the fuller account, see "Aboard the S.S. Cedric: Crossing to America".

Maḥmúd-i-Zarqání, M.. (1998). *Mahmúd's Diary: The Diary of Mírzá Maḥmúd-i-Zarqání*. George Ronald.