2013
‘Abdu’l-Bahá and faith
“As ye have faith, so shall your powers and blessings be,” the Master said to the very first group of Western pilgrims visiting Him in Haifa in 1898[1]. Also during His travels in the West, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá spoke of the […]
2013
Revisited: Abdu’l-Bahá in Oxford
On the morning of New Year’s Eve, 1912, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá and His entourage, including His hostess Lady Blomfield, took the 90 minute train ride from London to Oxford so that the Master could address an audience at Manchester College. This was […]
2012
Biography: Marion Jack
I grew up hearing the story of “General Jack” – the name ‘Abdu’l-Bahá used to call Marion Jack — and how, at the end of her life and in spite of the danger of living in Bulgaria during the Second […]
Visit to the United Kingdom
While the American believers were grappling with ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s departure after 239 days in their country, the British Bahá’ís were jubilant as they anticipated His return to England for a second visit. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s first trip to the England was for about […]
2011
Photography and ‘Abdu’l-Bahá
A life untouched by photography is unusual today. Our world is saturated with imagery and our encounters with it deeply affect our perception on an emotional, political, and ideological level. Photographs communicate ideas and facts, convey experiences and represent […]
Biography: Lady Blomfield
Lady Sara Louisa Blomfield was the first Irish-born Bahá’í, a renowned humanitarian, writer, and London society hostess. She hosted the Master while He was in London in 1911 and 1913 at her home at 97 Cadogan Gardens. She penned The […]
2011
The Master Officiates a Wedding
Before leaving London, the Master officiated a wedding of a young Persian couple. The full account can be read here, but the sweetness of the event struck me in the description of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá asking the bride and groom, in turn, if […]
Lord Mayor of London
This morning I came across this curious statement made by a prominent contemporary politician speaking with regards to the global financial crisis: ‘we must compete our way to prosperity’. This sparked a personal investigation into the idea of ‘prosperity’, not […]
2011
Brooklands Airfield
I have been thinking a lot about ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s trip to Brooklands airfield on September 29th in 1911. It strikes me that it was an accumulation of relatively unlikely, but wonderful occurrences. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, who was a visitor from the East, was sighted […]
2011
A Visit to Bristol
During the weekend of the 23rd through the 25th of September, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá took a side trip to Bristol, on the South West side of England. He praised the country side for its fresh greenery and spacious woods and fields. The […]