239 Days in America, Day 128: August 16, 1912 | Green Acre

Five Hundred Welcome ‘Abdu’l-Bahá at Green Acre  ¹

In 1912, a flagpole made from two ship’s masts rose from the grounds to a height of eighty-five feet. It flew a white flag, thirty-six feet wide, the word “PEACE” emblazoned across it in large green letters. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá could see it from the seat of his automobile. He had left Dublin, New Hampshire, at 10 a.m. on Friday, August 16, 1912, with three of his secretaries and Mr. Alfred Lunt, a New England lawyer. The party stopped for lunch in Nashua, arriving in Eliot in the afternoon. At last the car descended from the main road to the Inn on the river, over a long driveway that had been dressed on both sides with a thousand multicolored Japanese lanterns. Five hundred people waited to receive ‘Abdu’l-Bahá.

New Hampshire ²

The next day, Friday, August 16, Abdu’l-Bahá left Dublin at 10:00 A. M., had lunch at Nashua, New Hampshire, and reached Green Acre, in Eliot, Maine, in the afternoon.

Green Acre ³

Abdu’l-Bahá stayed at Green Acre for one week. The school had been founded by Sarah Farmer and her father as a center for educational exchange; to it came spiritualists, philosophers, artists, and educators. When Abdu’l-Bahá arrived, the way to the main building was decked with multicolored lanterns. Five hundred people were waiting.

Talk at Green Acre, Eliot, Maine ⁴

Real love is the love which exists between God and His servants, the love which binds together holy souls. This is the love of the spiritual world, not the love of physical bodies and organisms. For example, consider and observe how the bestowals of God successively descend upon mankind, how the divine effulgences ever shine upon the human world. There can be no doubt that these bestowals, these bounties, these effulgences emanate from love. Unless love be the divine motive, it would be impossible for the heart of man to attain or receive them. Unless love exists, the divine blessing could not descend upon any object or thing. Unless there be love, the recipient of divine effulgence could not radiate and reflect that effulgence upon other objects. If we are of those who perceive, we realize that the bounties of God manifest themselves continuously, even as the rays of the sun unceasingly emanate from the solar center. The phenomenal world through the resplendent effulgence of the sun is radiant and bright. In the same way the realm of hearts and spirits is illumined and resuscitated through the shining rays of the Sun of Reality and the bounties of the love of God. Thereby the world of existence, the kingdom of hearts and spirits, is ever quickened into life. Were it not for the love of God, hearts would be inanimate, spirits would wither, and the reality of man would be bereft of the everlasting bestowals.

A most impressive address on the love of God, the immortality of the spirit and the divine teachings ⁵

At dawn, while we were still in bed, we heard the Master sweetly chanting a prayer. We at once got up, went to Him and were served tea and refreshments from the all-bountiful Sághí. He instructed us to collect our belongings and prepare to leave. Around 10:00 a.m. Mr [Alfred E.] Lunt’s automobile arrived and the Master left Dublin. En route He had lunch at Nashua, New Hampshire, and after a little rest continued on His journey. We reached Green Acre in the afternoon where more than five hundred people were waiting for Him. Both sides of the entrance had been decorated with multicolored lanterns and a festive reception awaited His arrival.

After a short rest, the Master entered the main room of the Inn and gave a brief talk about the investigation of truth. From there He went to the home of Miss Farmer, the founder of the Green Acre Society. This distinguished lady was revived by His visit and although she was not feeling well, she accompanied the Master back to the Inn.

In the evening at the hotel, in response to questions from the audience, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá delivered a most impressive address on the love of God, the immortality of the spirit and the divine teachings. Everyone was deeply moved and their hearts were transformed.