the bonds of man, and burst his captive chains asunder. He thus proclaimed: Of one tree are all ye the fruit, and of one bough the leaves. Be kind unto every one, show affection unto all peoples. Treat the stranger as a friend, the foreigner as a loving companion. . . . Be a shelter to the distressed, comfort the disconsolate, assist the helpless, enrich the needy, heal the sick, relieve the suffering, dedicate yourselves to the service of the cause of conciliation and peace, and endeavor to become the true establishers of amity and truthfulness, of godliness and harmony in this mortal world.
O people of God! Make an effort, perchance the world of man may become illumined, and this mortal dust reflect the glory of the Abha Kingdom; for lo! humanity is wrapt in darkness, and the forces of violence and brutality reign supreme. The earth hath become an arena for the perpetrators of savage cruelties, and a field for the furthering of the designs of the ignorant and foolish. The children of men, but for a few whose noble aim is to promote the tranquillity and welfare of all mankind, have become either ravening as the wolves or senseless as the beast; either deadly as the poison, or worthless as the weed. Yours is the duty to consecrate your lives to the service of mankind, and to rejoice and glory therein.
Take heed lest ye offend any soul, or sadden and vilify your fellow-men, be they friend or foe; nay rather let your prayers be offered for them all, and supplicate for everyone of them the favors and tender mercies of the Most High. Beware, beware, lest ye cherish revenge in your hearts, though the offender be your deadly enemy. Beware, beware, lest ye be the cause of grief unto your neighbor, even though he be of the malicious and wicked. Look not at the creature, fix your gaze upon the almighty Creator. Regard not the wickedness of the froward, turn your eyes to the Lord, the source of compassion and power. Heed not the lowly dust, behold the radiance of the Orb that shineth from on high . . .
O Thou Divine and Loving Providence ! This servant of Thy sacred threshold yearneth to behold the friends of the East holding in their loving embrace the friends of the West, and all the children of men united even as the members of one body, the drops of one ocean, the birds of one garden, the pearls of one sea, the leaves of one branch, and the rays of one orb.
Verily Thou art the All-powerful, the Almighty, the Gracious, the All-knowing. . . .
(Epistles of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá)
Should anyone contend that true and enduring unity can in nowise be realized in this world, inasmuch as its peoples widely differ in their manners and habits, their tastes, their temperament and character, their thoughts and their views, to this we make reply that differences are of two kinds: the one is the cause of destruction, as exemplified by the spirit of contention and strife which animates mutually conflicting and antagonistic peoples and nations, whilst the other is the sign of diversity, the symbol and secret of perfection, and the revealer of the bounties of the All-glorious.
. . . Consider the flowers of the garden: though differing in kind, color, form and shape, yet, inasmuch as they are refreshed by the waters of one spring, revived by the breath of one wind, invigorated by the rays of one sun, this diversity increaseth their charm and addeth unto their beauty. How unpleasing to the eye if all the flowers and plants, the leaves and blossoms, the fruit, the branches, and the trees of the garden were all of the same shape and color ! Diversity of color, form and shape enricheth and adorneth the garden, and heighteneth the effect thereof. In like manner, when divers shades of thought, temperament and character, are brought together under the power and influence
