fields, the rain
began to fall. He had no place to go for shelter so He lifted His eyes
toward heaven, saying, "O Father! For the birds of the air Thou hast
created nests, for the sheep a fold, for the animals dens, for the fish
places of refuge, but for Me Thou hast provided no shelter. There is no
place where I may lay My head. My bed consists of the cold ground; My
lamps at night are the stars, and My food is the grass of the field. Yet
who upon earth is richer than I? For the greatest blessing Thou hast not
given to the rich and mighty but unto Me, for Thou hast given Me the poor.
To me Thou hast granted this blessing. They are Mine. Therefore am I the
richest man on earth."

So, my comrades, you are following in the footsteps of Jesus Christ. Your
lives are similar to His life; your attitude is like unto His; you
resemble Him more than the rich do. Therefore, we will thank God that we
have been so blessed with real riches. And in conclusion, I ask you to
accept 'Abdu'l-Baha as your servant.

At the end of this meeting, 'Abdu'l-Baha stood at the Bowery entrance to
the Mission hall, shaking hands with four or five hundred men and placing
within each palm a piece of silver.

TALKS 'ABDU'L-BAHA DELIVERED IN WASHINGTON, D.C.

20 April 1912
Talk at Orient-Occident-Unity Conference
Public Library Hall, Washington, D.C.

Notes by Joseph H. Hannen

Tonight I am most happy in presenting myself before an audience such as
this. I am an Oriental and have come into the West to meet the people of
the Occident. Praise be to God! Upon the faces of those assembled here I
perceive the light of God. This I consider an evidence of the possibility
of uniting the East and the West, of establishing a perfect bond between
Persia and America--one of the objects of this conference. For the Persians
there is no government better fitted to contribute to the development of
their natural resources and the helping of their national needs in a
reciprocal alliance than the United States of America, and for the
Americans there could be no better industrial outlet and market than the
virgin commercial soil of Persia. The mineral wealth of Persia is still
latent and untouched. It is my hope that the great American democracy may
be instrumental in developing these hidden resources and that a bond of
perfect amity and unity may be established between the American republic
and the government of Persia. May this bond--whether materi