The Face in the Shop Window

One day, in London, while several people were talking to ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, a man's voice was heard at the door. It was the son of a country clergyman, but now he looked more like an ordinary tramp and his only home was along the banks of the river Thames. He had walked thirty miles to see ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. The man was taken to the dining room, he was given food, and after he had rested for a while, he said, 'Last evening I had decided to put an end to my futile, hateful life, useless to God and man! In a little country town yesterday, whilst taking what I had intended should be my last walk, I saw a Face in the window of a newspaper shop. I stood looking at the face as if rooted to the spot. He seemed to speak to me, and call me to Him!...I read that He is here, in this house. I said to myself, "If there is on earth that personage, I shall take up again the burden of my life."...Tell me, is He here? Will He see me? Even me?' The lady replied, 'Of course He will see you...' Just then ‘Abdu’l-Bahá Himself opened the door, extending His hands as though to a dear friend whom He was expecting. 'Welcome! Most welcome! I am very much pleased that thou hast come. Be seated.' Trembling the poor man sank into a chair by the Master. 'Be happy! Be happy!...Do not be filled with grief...' encouraged the Master. 'Though thou be poor, thou mayest be rich in the Kingdom of God.' ‘Abdu’l-Bahá spoke these and other words of comfort, strength and healing. The man's cloud of misery seemed to melt away in the warmth of the Master's loving presence. Before the man left, he said that he was going to work in the fields, and that after he had saved a little money, he was going to buy some land to grow violets for the market.

Source: Honnold, Annamarie, Vignettes from the Life of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, pp. 89–90

Collected from bahaistories.com (Subject: hospitality).

Various. *bahaistories.com archive*. https://bahaistories.com/subject/hospitality