One reporter asked "What do you think of America?" 'I like it,' replied the…
bahaistories.com archive · Read original
Studio narration for this story is coming — it’ll be generated by the cloud-TTS pipeline (voice: auto-selected from the source author).
When in Bahá'í history
One reporter asked "What do you think of America?" 'I like it,' replied the Master, Americans are optimistic. If you ask them how they are, they say, "All right!" If you ask them how things are going, they say "All right!" This cheerful attitude is good.
Source: Earl Redman, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá in Their Midst, p. 56
Collected from bahaistories.com (Subject: approval-seeking).
Discuss this story
For adults
- What stands out about 'Abdu'l-Bahá's response in this account?
- What might 'Abdu'l-Bahá's example ask of us in our own circumstances?
- Where do you see devotion appearing — visibly or quietly — in this passage?
For teens
- If you were in 'Abdu'l-Bahá's place, what might you have done?
- What does this story teach about devotion?
Reflection
- Where in your own life are you being asked to practice devotion?
- Take one line from this story and let it stay with you today.
- What in this account feels timely? What feels timeless?
Comprehension quiz
Which source is "One reporter asked "What do you think of America?" 'I like it,' replied the…" drawn from?
What period of Bahá'í history does this story belong to?
Which historical figure is featured most prominently in this story?
Cite this story
Various. *bahaistories.com archive*. https://bahaistories.com/subject/approval-seeking
Record yourself reading this story
Recording stays on this device only. Nothing is uploaded.
Related stories
‘Abdu’l-Bahá went to the home of Rafael and Mrs
‘Abdu’l-Bahá went to the home of Rafael and Mrs. Pumpelly to meet some of Dublin's elite. Mr. Pumpelly had been a well-known geologist, a professor of mining at Harvard University. When someone asked ‘Abdu’l-Bahá for a story, Mrs.…
Evidently some of the Americans were bothered that the Persians for their…
Evidently some of the Americans were bothered that the Persians for their normal clothing and requested that they change into attire to suit the circumstances of the time and place. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá responded by asking them 'What harm is…
A companion of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá on His journey in America recorded a moment when…
A companion of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá on His journey in America recorded a moment when the Master expressed His anxiety for the future: ‘I am bearing these hardships of traveling so that the cause of God may push on unconstrained. For I am anxious…
‘Abdu’l-Bahá was in California in 1912 a presidential election year
‘Abdu’l-Bahá was in California in 1912 a presidential election year. One October morning this election was mentioned during a conversation. The Master commented: ‘The president must be a man who is not hankering for the presidency.…