Wrong house, right result

This story from the Central region is a good reminder that, if you’re going to visit a seeker, make sure you go to the right house! That is, unless Bahá’u’lláh has other plans . . . In any case, I want my bagel.

A, a seeker, decided he would like to be put in touch with a local believer. So I called upon B, a Bahá’í in the area, and soon they were corresponding by email. A invited B to come for a bagel brunch at his apartment, and they would meet in person to talk about the Faith.

When B arrived, he went to what he thought was the correct apartment and was met at the door by a man, C, who immediately invited him in and asked him to sit down. Assuming C was actually A, B sat down and they began to talk about the Faith. This very pleasant exchange continued for almost an hour and B left, assuring C that he would return, and perhaps vaguely wondering what had happened to the bagels.

Meanwhile, A and his family and the bagels were waiting. Concerned that something must have happened to B, A emailed him asking what had happened and was he all right. When B read the email, he was confused and wrote back referencing the conversation he just had. A was equally confused by the response.

At this point, A called me asking if B was okay and explained the story. I told him I would find out and get back to him. I called B and soon learned that he thought they had met as planned. Eventually we figured out what had happened. B called A and they straightened it out, arranging another meeting. What’s more, A already knew C, so he asked him why he didn’t say anything. So now B has two people in that apartment complex to visit!

Shortly after, I got a note from A saying, “My intro to the Bahá’í Faith is now truly something I’ll never forget, in the warmest most lovely and humorous way. I’ve been laughing all evening.”

E