Two ladies had an interview with ‘Abdu’l-Bahá in New York City
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When in Bahá'í history
New York (today: New York, USA)
Two ladies had an interview with ‘Abdu’l-Bahá in New York City. Ella Quant wrote about that occasion: ‘He told Margaret He prayed for her parents (who had passed into the life beyond some months before). Her eyes filled with tears and overflowed; mine then did likewise. The interpreter, perhaps at a loss, shook his head at us and said in an admonishing tone that we should never cry in His presence. It made Him sad. As I looked up, I saw that ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s sadness was for us not for Himself for with hands outstretched to calm and protect us, like a mother bird hovering over her young in the next, He explained in English, Laugh! Laugh! I shall never forget that voice, vibrant and powerful beyond any words of mine to express. In that voice I have come to see the power of heaven to rout all negative forces of existence, and in arising to obey that command to find the eternal joy of life.’ The Master could call for laughter even at a time such as that this need not seem strange when one realizes that He saw death as ‘a messenger of joy’.
Source: Honnold, Annamarie, Vignettes from the Life of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, p. 172
Collected from bahaistories.com (Subject: laughter).
Discuss this story
For adults
- Read the closing lines once more. What single phrase stays with you?
- What does the setting of this account contribute to its meaning?
- If you were to share this story aloud at a devotional gathering, which sentence would you read first?
For teens
- If you were in 'Abdu'l-Bahá's place, what might you have done?
- What does this story teach about joy?
Reflection
- Is there someone in your life who would be helped by hearing this story?
- Sit quietly for a moment after reading. What does this story stir in you?
- Take one line from this story and let it stay with you today.
Comprehension quiz
Which source is "Two ladies had an interview with ‘Abdu’l-Bahá in New York City" 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?
Which virtue does this story most clearly illustrate?
Cite this story
Various. *bahaistories.com archive*. https://bahaistories.com/subject/laughter
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