ortitude than that which His tried and trusted friends have shown in
the face of untold calamities, intolerable oppression, and incredible
restrictions? Such staunchness of faith, such an unsullied love, such
magnificent loyalty, such heroic constancy, such noble courage, however
unprecedented and laudable in themselves, cannot alone lead us to the
final and complete triumph of such a great Cause. Not until the dynamic
love we cherish for Him is sufficiently reflected in its power and purity
in all our dealings with our fellowmen, however remotely connected and
humble in origin, can we hope to exalt in the eyes of a self-seeking world
the genuineness of the all-conquering love of God. Not until we live
ourselves the life of a true Baha'i can we hope to demonstrate the
creative and transforming potency of the Faith we profess. Nothing but the
abundance of our actions, nothing but the purity of our lives and the
integrity of our character, can in the last resort establish our claim
that the Baha'i spirit is in this day the sole agency that can translate a
long cherished ideal into an enduring achievement.

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 behoveth 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