O ye spiritual friends of 'Abdu'l-Baha! The letter ye had written hath
been noted; its contents were most pleasing and bespoke your firmness and
steadfastness in the Cause of God.
That Assembly resteth in the sheltering shade of the Lord of all bounties,
and it is my hope that, as beseemeth that body, it will be favoured and
invigorated by the breathings of the Holy Spirit, and that day by day ye
will love God in ever greater measure, and become more tightly bound to
the Beauty that abideth forever, to Him Who is the Light of the world. For
love of God and spiritual attraction do cleanse and purify the human heart
and dress and adorn it with the spotless garment of holiness; and once the
heart is entirely attached to the Lord, and bound over to the Blessed
Perfection, then will the grace of God be revealed.
This love is not of the body but completely of the soul. And those souls
whose inner being is lit by the love of God are even as spreading rays of
light, and they shine out like stars of holiness in a pure and crystalline
sky. For true love, real love, is the love for God, and this is sanctified
beyond the notions and imaginings of men.
Let God's beloved, each and every one, be the essence of purity, the very
life of holiness, so that in every country they may become famed for their
sanctity, independence of spirit, and meekness. Let them be cheered by
draughts from the eternal cup of love for God, and make merry as they
drink from the wine-vaults of Heaven. Let them behold the Blessed Beauty,
and feel the flame and rapture of that meeting, and be struck dumb with
awe and wonder. This is the station of the sincere; this is the way of the
loyal; this is the brightness that shineth on the faces of those nigh unto
God.
Wherefore must the friends of God, with utter sanctity, with one accord,
rise up in the spirit, in unity with one another, to such a degree that
they will become even as one being and one soul. On such a plane as this,
physical bodies play no part, rather doth the spirit take over and rule;
and when its power encompasseth all then is spiritual union achieved.
Strive ye by day and night to cultivate your unity to the fullest degree.
Let your thoughts dwell on your own spiritual development, and close your
eyes to the deficiencies of other souls. Act ye in such wise, showing
forth pure and goodly deeds, and modesty and humility, that ye will cause
others to be awakened.
Never is it the wish of 'Abdu'l-Baha to see any being hurt, nor will He
make anyone to grieve; for man can receive no greater gift than this, that
he rejoice another's heart. I beg of God that ye will be bringers of joy,
even as are the angels in Heaven.