Sometime that summer at the pressing invitation of the friends in California,…
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When in Bahá'í history
Paris (today: Paris, France)
Sometime that summer at the pressing invitation of the friends in California, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá decided that He would, after all, visit the Western part of America. But there was somewhere He wanted to go first. May Maxwell, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá's beloved handmaid, distinguished disciple had established the first permanent Bahá’í community in Canada, after having established the first Bahá’í community in France a decade earlier. On the occasion of her move from Paris to Montréal as the bride of the talented young architect Sutherland Maxwell, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá had written to her, “Thou wert as pure gold and didst enter the fire of tests Gird up then thy loins, strengthen thy resolve, and arise with a mighty heart to promote the Word of God in that remote region.” Now, there was a small but thriving Bahá’í community in Montreal.
Source: Earl Redman, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá in Their Midst, p. 179
Collected from bahaistories.com (Subject: abdul-baha-montreal).
Discuss this story
For adults
- What stands out about May Maxwell's response in this account?
- What in your own life does this story bring to mind?
- Where do you see devotion appearing — visibly or quietly — in this passage?
For teens
- If you were in May Maxwell's place, what might you have done?
- What does this story teach about devotion?
Reflection
- How does devotion show up in your life right now — and where is it being asked of you?
- Is there someone in your life who would be helped by hearing this story?
- Where in your own life are you being asked to practice devotion?
Comprehension quiz
Which source is "Sometime that summer at the pressing invitation of the friends in California,…" drawn from?
Where does this story take place?
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/abdul-baha-montreal
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