And while the East, through suffering and turmoil, is moving on in its
slow and toilsome march towards the acceptance of God's holy Faith, let us
turn for a moment our gaze to the Western Hemisphere, and particularly to
the American continent, and attempt to visualize the possibilities of the
future spread of the Cause, and to estimate afresh those golden yet
swiftly passing opportunities which Baha'u'llah in those far-away lands
has accorded to His chosen people. I feel thoroughly convinced, and am
moved to share this firm conviction within me with that great company of
western believers, that in the speedy resumption of the sorely-neglected
construction of the Ma_sh_riqu'l-A_dh_kar at Wilmette lies our undoubted
privilege, our primary obligation, our most vital opportunity to lend an
unprecedented impetus to the advancement of the Cause, not only throughout
the West but in every country of the world. I would not stress at this
moment the prestige and good name of the Cause, much as they are involved
in this most pressing issue, I would not dwell upon the eager expectancy
with which the unnumbered followers of the Faith as well as the vast
number of the non-believers in almost every section of society throughout
the East are awaiting to behold that noble structure rear its head in the
heart of that far-western continent; nor would I expatiate on the
ineffable beauty of this holy Edifice, its towering glory, its artistic
design, its unique character, or its functions in the organic life of the
Baha'i community of the future. But I would with all the strength of my
conviction emphasize the immeasurable spiritual significance of an
Edifice, so beauteous, so holy, erected solely by the concerted efforts,
strained to the utmost degree of self-sacrifice, of the entire body of the
believers who are fully conscious of the significance of the Revelation of
Baha'u'llah. In this vast endeavor, unparalleled in modern times, its
world-wide range, its spontaneity, its heroic and holy character, the
American believers, on the soil of whose country Baha'u'llah's first
universal House of Worship is to be built, must, if they be faithful to
their trust, claim and fulfill a pre-eminent share in the collective
contributions offered by the Baha'is of the world.
'Abdu'l-Baha's Cherished Desire
For this reason do I feel impelled to direct by incessant plea in
particular to the followers of the Faith in the United States and Canada
to arise and play their part, while there is yet time, and not to allow
their earnest strivings to be swamped and superseded by the
self-sacrificing heroism of the multitude of their brethren in Persia.
Again I feel the urge to remind you one and all of the necessity of
keeping ever in mind this fundamental verity that the efficacy of the
spiritual forces centering in, and radiating from, the first
Ma_sh_riqu'l-A_dh_kar in the West will in a great measure depend upon the
extent to which we, the pioneer workers in that land will, with clear
vision, unquenchable faith, and inflexible determination, resolve to
voluntarily abnegate temporal advantages in our support of so meritorious
an endeavor. The higher the degree of our renunciation and self-sacrifice,
the wider the range of the contributing believers, the more apparent will
become the vitalizing forces that are to emanate from this unique and
sacred Edifice; and the greater, in consequence, the stimulating effect it
will exert upon the propagation of the Faith in the days to come. Not by
the abundance of our donations, not even by the spontaneity of our
efforts, but rather by the degree of self-abnegation which our
contributions will entail, can we effectively promote the speedy
realization of 'Abdu'l-Baha's cherished desire. How great our
responsibility, how immense our task, how priceless the advantages that we
can reap!