The city of Paris is very beautiful, a more civilized and
well-appointed town in all material development it would be impossible to find
in the present world. But the spiritual light has not shone upon her for a long
time: her spiritual progress is far behind that of her material civilization. A
supreme power is needed to awaken her to the reality of spiritual truth, to
breathe the breath of life into her dormant soul. You must all unite in this
work of arousing her, in reanimating her people by the help of that Superior
Force.
When an illness is slight a small remedy will suffice to
heal it, but when the slight illness becomes a terrible disease, then a very
strong remedy must be used by the Divine Healer. There are some trees that
blossom and bear fruit in a cool climate, others there are which need the
hottest rays of the sun to bring them to perfect maturity. Paris is one of
those trees for whose spiritual unfoldment a great flaming Sun of the Divine
Power of God is needed. (‘Abdu’l-Baha, from a talk, Paris, October 20, 1911,
‘Paris Talks’)
