These Are My Friends
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When in Bahá'í history
'Akká (today: Acre, Israel)
In 1907 Corinne True was in ‘Akká with the Master. One Friday morning she watched from her window as between two and three hundred poor men, women and children gathered in His courtyard, and He went from one to another, giving into the hand of each some piece of money and a word of praise or kindness.
Later, while resting, the Master told Mrs True about His friends. “These are My friends, My friends. Some of them are My enemies, but they think I do not know it, because they appear friendly, and to them I am very kind, for one must love his enemies and do good to them.” He explained that there simply was not sufficient work in ‘Akká. Men could do but two kinds of work: they could fish, but the sea had been too stormy lately, or they could carry loads on their backs, which required great strength. Those who attempted to deceive Him were rebuked and told where they might obtain work.
Source: Vignettes from the Life of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá (Annamarie Honnold), p. 80.
Collected from bahaistories.com (Subject: poor).
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