A Question at the Door
Howard Colby Ives, Portals to Freedom, (1937), George Ronald · Read original
When in Bahá'í history
A retelling for children, based on Portals to Freedom by Howard Colby Ives (George Ronald, 1937).
When 'Abdu'l-Bahá visited New York in 1912, the Bahá'ís there had a group called the executive committee. To execute means to carry out, or to do. The committee's job was to get things done.
One day the committee asked 'Abdu'l-Bahá to be present at their meeting.
For half an hour or so, the friends talked things over. 'Abdu'l-Bahá listened.
Then He calmly stood up to leave. At the door He stopped and looked at all their faces. For a moment He said nothing. Then He said that He had been told this was a meeting of the executive committee.
"Yes, Master," said the chairman.
Then why, He asked, did they not execute?
Howard Colby Ives, who wrote this story down, said that 'Abdu'l-Bahá always put the most weight on deeds. And He did not ask others to do anything He did not do Himself.
Howard Colby Ives heard this story from one of the friends who was there, and wrote it down. This is a retelling for children. For the fuller account, see "Why Do You Not Execute?".
Cite this story
Ives, H. C.. (1937). *Portals to Freedom*. George Ronald. https://bahai-library.com/ives_portals_freedom
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