One day in California I saw a cardinal walking with pomp and
ceremony in front of a procession. Inquiring about the occasion, I was told
that a new church had been built and the cardinal was to officially open its
doors to the public. I said, `This show and ceremony of the cardinal is like
that of Christ. However, there is a slight difference. Christ opened the gate
of heaven; this cardinal is going to open that of a church. Christ had a crowd
following Him but they were there to hurl contempt and abuse at Him. This
cardinal had a crowd with him but they are there to help. Christ had a crown
but it was made of thorns, while this cardinal wears a crown set with lustrous
jewels. Christ had clothes but they were made of old, coarse cloth, while this
man's robe is made of the finest brocade of the day. Christ spent His days in
sorrow, while this cardinal's days are spent in security and comfort. Christ's
home was a desert, while this cardinal's home is a splendid building, like that
of a king. Christ's throne was upon a cross, while this man's place of rest is
a throne of ease and comfort. The adornment of Christ's banquet was the blood
of that beloved countenance, while the ornament of this man's court is the
goblet of colored wine. So, this cardinal's display is similar to that of
Christ, with only the slightest differences.
- 'Abdu'l-Baha (Words of ‘Abdu’l-Baha, from a
talk, October 29, 1912 Denver, USA, recorded by Mahmud Zarqani; ‘Mahmud’s
Diary’)
