There is the story of the coal miner in California who had walked many miles to…
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When in Bahá'í history
There is the story of the coal miner in California who had walked many miles to meet ‘Abdu’l-Bahá Who, of course spoke that evening as He always did through an interpreter. The coal miner became more and more impatient. Finally, unable to stand it any longer, he leaned toward the man sitting next to him. "Why does that man continually interrupt the Master?" he asked. The man explained, "‘Abdu’l-Bahá is speaking in Persian it must, be translated." "Translated!" the coal miner was outraged. "Nothing ‘Abdu’l-Bahá says needs translating - anybody can understand Him."
Source: Reginald Grant Barrow, Mother's Stories: Stories of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá and Early Believers told by Muriel Ives Barrow Newhall to her son, p. 38
Collected from bahaistories.com (Subject: universal-language-heart-heart).
Discuss this story
For adults
- Where do devotion and patience meet in this story?
- How does this story illustrate the practice of devotion?
- What stands out about 'Abdu'l-Bahá's response in this account?
For teens
- Who is someone you know who lives out devotion the way this story describes?
- If you were going to tell a friend this story in two sentences, what would you say?
Reflection
- Take one line from this story and let it stay with you today.
- What in this account feels timely? What feels timeless?
- If you could bring one quality from this story into your next conversation, what would it be?
Comprehension quiz
Which source is "There is the story of the coal miner in California who had walked many miles to…" 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/universal-language-heart-heart
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