With this vision clearly set before us, and fortified by the knowledge of
the gracious aid of Baha'u'llah and the repeated assurances of
'Abdu'l-Baha, let us first strive to live the life and then arise with one
heart, one mind, one voice, to reinforce our numbers and achieve our end.
Let us recall, and seek on this sad occasion the comfort of, the last
wishes of our departed yet ever-watchful Master:--
"It behooveth them not to rest for a moment, neither to seek repose. They
must disperse themselves in every land, pass by every clime, and travel
throughout all regions. Bestirred, without rest, and steadfast to the end,
they must raise in every land the triumphal cry 'Ya Baha'u'l-Abha!' (O
Thou the Glory of Glories).... The disciples of Christ forgot themselves
and all earthly things, forsook all their cares and belongings, purged
themselves of self and passion, and with absolute detachment scattered far
and wide and engaged in calling the peoples of the world to the divine
guidance; till at last they made the world another world, illumined the
surface of the earth, and even to their last hour proved self-sacrificing
in the pathway of that beloved One of God. Finally in various lands they
suffered glorious martyrdom. Let them that are men of action follow in
their footsteps!"
Having grasped the significance of these words, having obtained a clear
understanding of the true character of our mission, the methods to adopt,
the course to pursue, and having attained sufficiently the individual
regeneration--the essential requisite of teaching--let us arise to teach His
Cause with righteousness, conviction, understanding and vigor. Let this be
the paramount and most urgent duty of every Baha'i. Let us make it the
dominating passion of our life. Let us scatter to the uttermost corners of
the earth; sacrifice our personal interests, comforts, tastes and
pleasures; mingle with the divers kindreds and peoples of the world;
familiarize ourselves with their manners, traditions, thoughts and
customs; arouse, stimulate and maintain universal interest in the
Movement, and at the same time endeavor by all the means in our power, by
concentrated and persistent attention, to enlist the unreserved allegiance
and the active support of the more hopeful and receptive among our
hearers. Let us too bear in mind the example which our beloved Master has
clearly set before us. Wise and tactful in His approach, wakeful and
attentive in His early intercourse, broad and liberal in all His public
utterances, cautious and gradual in the unfolding of the essential
verities of the Cause, passionate in His appeal yet sober in argument,
confident in tone, unswerving in conviction, dignified in His manners--such
were the distinguishing features of our Beloved's noble presentation of
the Cause of Baha'u'llah.
If we all choose to tread faithfully His path, surely the day is not far
distant when our beloved Cause will have emerged from the inevitable
obscurity of a young and struggling Faith into the broad daylight of
universal recognition. This is our duty, our first obligation. Therein
lies the secret of the success of the Cause we love so well. Therein lies
the hope, the salvation of mankind. Are we fully conscious of our
responsibilities? Do we realize the urgency, the sacredness, the
immensity, the glory of our task?
I entreat you, dear friends, to continue, nay, to redouble your efforts,
to keep your vision clear, your hopes undimmed, your determination
unshaken, so that the power of God within us may fill the world with all
its glory.
In this fervent plea joins me the Greatest Holy Leaf. Though chagrined in
the evening of her life at the sorrowful tales of repression in Persia,
she still turns with the deepest longings of her heart to your land where
freedom reigns, eager and expectant to behold, ere she is called away, the
signs of the universal triumph of the Cause she loves so dearly.