The magnet of your love brought me here. My hope is that the divine light may shine here, and that the heavenly Star of Baha’u’llah may strengthen you, so that you may be the cause of the oneness of humanity, that you may help to make the darkness of superstition and prejudice disappear and unite all creeds and all nations.
We have had wars and disputes for over 6,000 years. Even if we look on this state of affairs as an experiment, surely it is sufficient, surely it is time to stop. This is a brilliant century. Eyes are open now to the beauty of the oneness of humanity, of love and brotherhood. The darkness of suppression will disappear and the light of unity will shine. We cannot bring love and unity to pass only by talk. Knowledge is not enough. Wealth, science, education are good, we know that, but we must also work and study.
Knowledge is the first step; Resolve, the second step; Action, the fulfilment, is the third step. To make a building, first of all one must make a plan, then one must have the power (money) to build, then, after all these preparations, one can build. One forms a Society of Unity—that is good—but meetings and talk are not enough. In Egypt these meetings take place, there is only talk and no result. These meetings here in London are good, the knowledge and the intention are good, but how can there be a result without action?
Today the force for unity is the Holy Spirit of Baha’u’llah. He manifested this Spirit of Unity. Baha’u’llah brings East and West together. Go back, search history, you will not find a precedent for this.
- 'Abdu'l-Baha (Discourses given by ‘Abdu’l-Baha in London and Paris’; Star of the West, vol. 2, no. 19, March 2, 1912)