July 26, 2025 • 9 mins
Delve into the fascinating life and journey of Thornton Chase, widely acknowledged as the first person of Western descent to embrace the Baháí Faith. Chase was a pivotal figure in organizing Baháí activities in Chicago and Los Angeles, making him a well-respected figure within the Baháí community. His 1907 pilgrimage to Akka profoundly impacted him, particularly his three-day encounter with `Abdul Bahá. So taken was `Abdul Bahá by Chases character, he bestowed upon him the title of Thábit, meaning steadfast. Upon his return, Chase penned his pilgrimage experiences, producing a richly detailed and emotive depiction of `Abdul-Bahás home, family, and personal demeanor in Akka. Published in 1908 as In Galilee, this insightful account stands as a notable contribution to the genre known as pilgrims notes.
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Section nine of In Galilee by Thornton Chase. This is
a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings on the public domain.
For more information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox dot org.
Recording by Nicholas James Bridgewater. In Galilee by Thornton Chase,
(00:23):
Section nine the parting. In the forenoon of the last day,
Abdul Baha called each one of us separately to his
reception room for a private interview and definite instruction. He
said he wished for us to remain longer, but on
(00:43):
account of threatening troubles, it was better that we should go.
Certain messages and communications were given to him by us,
which he took and marked for later consideration. He bade
us carry his message of love and happiness to the friends,
(01:05):
and urged the utmost importance of unity and harmony of
all believers. With such unity, the cause of God would
prosper and spread rapidly. Without it, there could be no progress.
He hoped that he should hear of our work in America.
(01:26):
At the last meal, he spoke of the building of
the temple in this country, and said it was of
very great importance and should become a means of blessed
association and unity among the friends. I did not say goodbye.
Soon after the noon meal, Abdul Baha met me in
(01:49):
the little upper court. He embraced this servant, and moving
away a few feet, he turned, looked steadily and pronounced
a promise that is a precious memory and hope. Then
he went into the apartments of the household. A little
(02:10):
later we were called to go. We descended the old
stone stairway, with friends watching us from the grated windows,
crossed the lower court, passed through the archway, and out
to the carriage awaiting us. As we entered the world again,
it was with a sort of chill, as when one
(02:32):
steps from a warm room into a cold night air.
Curious eyes watched us as we rode again through the city,
the cramped streets and crooked ways to the outer gate,
where we waited for the third horse of the team.
There we were surrounded by venders and beggars, calling out
(02:55):
the names of the loved one we had left, evidently
hoping thus to extract money from us. We had descended
from a realm of happiness, peace and light to an
underworld of greed and strife. Never before had we so
perceived the ignorance and animalism which possesses men, And at
(03:20):
first we shrank from them. But when we noted their condition,
their sickness, their burdens and griefs, a longing tenderness welled
up in our hearts toward them and to all creatures,
a great wish to pour out on them the fragrances
(03:41):
of peace, good will, and love, to lift them up
from darkness to light, from ignorance to knowledge, from hell
to heaven, and to serve them even to extinction of self.
The contrast between the world and that the prison we
had left was so strong that it intensified the consciousness
(04:06):
of that heavenly condition in which we had dwelt during
those blessed days and nights. The tomb and the Resvaughan.
When we had left the city, Merzimonear, the faithful interpreter,
joined us, and we drove two miles to the garden
(04:27):
of Bahji and visited the tomb of Baha'u'llah. There we
removed our shoes and entered that consecrated place with melting hearts.
In the large outer room or court, were beautiful rugs, vases,
(04:48):
and flowers, and a central garden railed around. A little
breeze came through the open windows and caused the many
glass prism pendant from lamps and chandeliers to jangle sweetly together.
It was a soft chiming in the silence, fitting and beautiful.
(05:12):
Each one alone entered the inner chamber of the tomb
and remained as long as possible, communing with God and
remembering the friends far away. Before the presence, which unmistakably
was there again, we were constrained to silence, for each
(05:34):
soul was occupied with his God. It was the culmination
of our pilgrimage. From there we drove a short distance
to the garden of the Resvan met the old gardener
Mirza Abel Cossim, took tea with him under the spreading
mulberry trees, the tent without poles or covering, and rested
(05:59):
by the sea, which was over land and water, where
the Great Manifestation used to sit. We saw his plane
rum in the house at the end of the garden,
and noted how tenderly everything was preserved and cared for.
We sympathized with Mirza Abelcossim in his pride and love
(06:22):
for that garden of his Lord. The thoughts and emotions
of years were crowded for us into that one day.
We were overwhelmed with love, praise, and thankfulness. Through all
the nine mile drive to Haifa, we scarcely spoke, for
(06:42):
words disturbed the oceans in our souls. Like tired and
happy children, we went again to the hospice of the
Little Child. On my return to America, I found the
friends eager to hear my impressions of Akha, and especially
of abdul Baha. And I have tried to tell some
(07:06):
what of them in this and other writings. But the certain,
clear and correct expression of him is that which he
declares in his own words, namely that he is abdul Baha,
the servant of Glory, that is, the servant of God.
(07:31):
That he has no station, no purpose, no claim, no wish,
no existence except that of abdul Baha. He asks most
earnestly that no one shall ascribe to him any mission
or station other than that of the servant of God.
(07:56):
Those who really desire to obey his will and comply
with his wish, rather than to uphold their own imaginations,
will do literally as he has requested. In truth, no
title can be nobler than this. No glory is greater
(08:17):
than service, no station higher than that of sacrifice, no
honor greater than to be the instrument of the Spirit.
He who serves God is truly in the image of God.
And he who sacrifices himself for love of man is
(08:39):
the exemplar of the love of God. It is enough
that abdul Baha is the example and leader of all
mankind in service, sacrifice, love, and peace fulfilling before all
the law of the Kingdom as declared by the Great
(09:00):
Manifestation Bahaullah. End of section nine. End of in Galilee
by Thornton Chase, recorded by Nicholas James Bridgewater, recorded in London, England,
Section nine of In Galilee by Thornton Chase. This is
a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings on the public domain.
For more information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox dot org.
Recording by Nicholas James Bridgewater. In Galilee by Thornton Chase,
(00:23):
Section nine the parting. In the forenoon of the last day,
Abdul Baha called each one of us separately to his
reception room for a private interview and definite instruction. He
said he wished for us to remain longer, but on
(00:43):
account of threatening troubles, it was better that we should go.
Certain messages and communications were given to him by us,
which he took and marked for later consideration. He bade
us carry his message of love and happiness to the friends,
(01:05):
and urged the utmost importance of unity and harmony of
all believers. With such unity, the cause of God would
prosper and spread rapidly. Without it, there could be no progress.
He hoped that he should hear of our work in America.
(01:26):
At the last meal, he spoke of the building of
the temple in this country, and said it was of
very great importance and should become a means of blessed
association and unity among the friends. I did not say goodbye.
Soon after the noon meal, Abdul Baha met me in
(01:49):
the little upper court. He embraced this servant, and moving
away a few feet, he turned, looked steadily and pronounced
a promise that is a precious memory and hope. Then
he went into the apartments of the household. A little
(02:10):
later we were called to go. We descended the old
stone stairway, with friends watching us from the grated windows,
crossed the lower court, passed through the archway, and out
to the carriage awaiting us. As we entered the world again,
it was with a sort of chill, as when one
(02:32):
steps from a warm room into a cold night air.
Curious eyes watched us as we rode again through the city,
the cramped streets and crooked ways to the outer gate,
where we waited for the third horse of the team.
There we were surrounded by venders and beggars, calling out
(02:55):
the names of the loved one we had left, evidently
hoping thus to extract money from us. We had descended
from a realm of happiness, peace and light to an
underworld of greed and strife. Never before had we so
perceived the ignorance and animalism which possesses men, And at
(03:20):
first we shrank from them. But when we noted their condition,
their sickness, their burdens and griefs, a longing tenderness welled
up in our hearts toward them and to all creatures,
a great wish to pour out on them the fragrances
(03:41):
of peace, good will, and love, to lift them up
from darkness to light, from ignorance to knowledge, from hell
to heaven, and to serve them even to extinction of self.
The contrast between the world and that the prison we
had left was so strong that it intensified the consciousness
(04:06):
of that heavenly condition in which we had dwelt during
those blessed days and nights. The tomb and the Resvaughan.
When we had left the city, Merzimonear, the faithful interpreter,
joined us, and we drove two miles to the garden
(04:27):
of Bahji and visited the tomb of Baha'u'llah. There we
removed our shoes and entered that consecrated place with melting hearts.
In the large outer room or court, were beautiful rugs, vases,
(04:48):
and flowers, and a central garden railed around. A little
breeze came through the open windows and caused the many
glass prism pendant from lamps and chandeliers to jangle sweetly together.
It was a soft chiming in the silence, fitting and beautiful.
(05:12):
Each one alone entered the inner chamber of the tomb
and remained as long as possible, communing with God and
remembering the friends far away. Before the presence, which unmistakably
was there again, we were constrained to silence, for each
(05:34):
soul was occupied with his God. It was the culmination
of our pilgrimage. From there we drove a short distance
to the garden of the Resvan met the old gardener
Mirza Abel Cossim, took tea with him under the spreading
mulberry trees, the tent without poles or covering, and rested
(05:59):
by the sea, which was over land and water, where
the Great Manifestation used to sit. We saw his plane
rum in the house at the end of the garden,
and noted how tenderly everything was preserved and cared for.
We sympathized with Mirza Abelcossim in his pride and love
(06:22):
for that garden of his Lord. The thoughts and emotions
of years were crowded for us into that one day.
We were overwhelmed with love, praise, and thankfulness. Through all
the nine mile drive to Haifa, we scarcely spoke, for
(06:42):
words disturbed the oceans in our souls. Like tired and
happy children, we went again to the hospice of the
Little Child. On my return to America, I found the
friends eager to hear my impressions of Akha, and especially
of abdul Baha. And I have tried to tell some
(07:06):
what of them in this and other writings. But the certain,
clear and correct expression of him is that which he
declares in his own words, namely that he is abdul Baha,
the servant of Glory, that is, the servant of God.
(07:31):
That he has no station, no purpose, no claim, no wish,
no existence except that of abdul Baha. He asks most
earnestly that no one shall ascribe to him any mission
or station other than that of the servant of God.
(07:56):
Those who really desire to obey his will and comply
with his wish, rather than to uphold their own imaginations,
will do literally as he has requested. In truth, no
title can be nobler than this. No glory is greater
(08:17):
than service, no station higher than that of sacrifice, no
honor greater than to be the instrument of the Spirit.
He who serves God is truly in the image of God.
And he who sacrifices himself for love of man is
(08:39):
the exemplar of the love of God. It is enough
that abdul Baha is the example and leader of all
mankind in service, sacrifice, love, and peace fulfilling before all
the law of the Kingdom as declared by the Great
(09:00):
Manifestation Bahaullah. End of section nine. End of in Galilee
by Thornton Chase, recorded by Nicholas James Bridgewater, recorded in London, England,
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