The Divine Riviera Hotel
As FATHER and MOTHER DIVINE and members of the Staff were dining in the Office Tea Room at the Divine Hotel Riviera, two of the many guests who came in to dine in the newly-opened weekend coffee shop in the lounge of the Hotel heard that FATHER and MOTHER DIVINE were personally here and expressed the desire just to meet and shake hands with Them. This was brought to FATHER'S notice and even as HE has greeted several other guests and talked with them on several occasions this trip, despite HIS busy schedule both at the new Fairmont Hotel and here at the Divine Riviera Hotel namely members of the Press, a Reverend, a business woman and others HE said the guests might come up if they so desired. Thus it was that Mr. Philip Life escorted them into the Office Tea Room on the eighth floor, introducing them as follows:
Peace FATHER, this is Mr. Addonizio, an attorney here in Newark.
FATHER (cordially shaking hands with him): Peace
Mr. Addonizio: Peace FATHER! Yes all my life I have been here. It is a pleasure FATHER seeing YOU. I have read about YOU through the years and today I am very happy and very honored to be presented to YOU and o as far as Australia and if it weren't for that good feeling toward mankind it would have never prevailed and I feel very deeply about that, because I have been taught to believe from the day I was old enough to learn, that there was only one race the human race and, "In all thy getting get understanding!" Because with understanding it dissipates each friction that creates the internal tensions between individuals and the hate between nations and by this wars are eliminated.
These frictions are the source of evil. And I think that the Spirit which YOU display here proves this fact this great Spirit of Love and this is why it shall always remember this day as a wonderful day in my life, and I am sure that my friend, Larry Doby, who is almost half my age, will remember it too because he has experienced an awful lot.
Mr. Doby: Yes.
MOTHER: FATHER has always stressed unification.
Mr. Addonizio: I am cognizant of this. As I say I have been following HIM through the papers for years but never, as I said, did I ever contemplate having luncheon or that we would have the privilege of sitting here with HIM as we are, through the munificence of my friend, Brother Philip.
Mr. Philip (with a smile says quickly): Through FATHER.
Mr. Addonizio: Yes, but of course it permeates (Merriment ensues.)
MOTHER: Well, it is through a harmonious mental and spiritual contact that you received this blessing. If you had not been harmonious to FATHER no doubt it would not have come about, even though we as individuals did not have any record of you as persons, but that is how FATHER blesses persons ----- if they think on HIM harmoniously.
FATHER: It is true.
Mr. Addonizio: And that's just the way I have always thought upon YOU FATHER, always, and that is why I feel that because of the harmonious attitude that exists it has transmitted itself between us.
MOTHER: It will be wonderful when all people get the mystery of unification.
Mr. Addonizio: That is put better than I have ever heard it put the mystery of unification!
MOTHER: Well FATHER has taught us that that is the Source of all supply. Also it was recorded in the Bible in the story of the building of the Tower of Babel, they were so unified, and GOD seeing that they would accomplish their endeavors confounded the language so that they would speak in different languages and therefore be defeated in what they had set out to do, because they were trying to reach Heaven in an erroneous way. So now FATHER has come and brought the people together through the conviction that through the FATHERHOOD of GOD we can have the Brotherhood of man, and now you can see the nations are so rapidly coming into that realization that they must unite in order to overcome the common enemy.
Mr. Addonizio: Is that, in a sense, also part of Moral Rearmament such as the Moral Rearmament Program!
FATHER: Yes.
MOTHER: That in essence is what FATHER has always expressed.
Secretary: FATHER has often taught us that the proper way to acquire what you need is by living the Life of CHRIST.
Mr. Addonizio: That's right.
Secretary: When you live the Life of Christ you automatically solve the problems that face humanity from every angle.
Mr. Addonizio: That is really so because I had occasion to speak to my son yesterday on that very subject, that if we were to live by those precepts we would have to discord in the world the precepts as laid down by CHRIST there would be no discord.
MOTHER: The Sermon on the Mount is the Foundation of the Peace Mission Movement.
Mr. Addonizio: That has been the Standard for many, many centuries.
Mr. Doby: "I have found in my profession as far as baseball is concerned there has to be a belief, a deep belief in CHRIST, because I think that the way baseball is the way a fellow acclimates himself to certain situations as far as the time element the way the baseball travels and the time of making contact, I don't think he can do this without this belief, because somebody has to give you this power of decision; you only have a few seconds to decide whether you are going to swing at a ball or not and I don't think you could do it without this belief or this help. Of course you sort of automatically rely on it. I think that is what makes a distinction as far as ability is concerned because there are so few in this one field who attain that ability. There are so many who try to accomplish this that just don't have the ability and I think that belief makes a tremendous difference.
FATHER: It's true.
MOTHER: They are even realizing today that the cause of many accidents on the road is through people being out of harmony with GOD in one way or another so the reverse is equally true.
Mr. Doby: Yes.
MOTHER: If a person is angry or resentful, why then it is reflected in their driving habits.
Mr. Addonizio: (quickly) : Oh, that's so true, that's so true! The only accident I had in my life was because of that. My wife had wanted me to do something and I didn't do it and I was angry with myself and I went along and bumped this fellow from behind that's the truth! If I hadn't been angry I would not have done it, and I thought at the time, "You knew you were going to get into an accident!"
Mr. Doby: I know in the early stages of baseball it was sort of a trying period because it was really the first opportunity for all people to participate in baseball, and I remember as a youngster I had quite a temper and of course I felt when someone would do me wrong, to a certain extent I would try to talk this thing out, and if I did not get results I would go into the physical part of it!. And when I got into baseball I found this could not be done for, of course, a lot of reasons; so I had to have a strong belief in CHRIST because if I had gotten into trouble because of my problems I knew it would have been a bad future for all of us. So many times when things would happen to me I found I could just walk away.
Secretary: Instead of trying to hit someone.
Mr. Doby: Yes.
MOTHER: FATHER has always taught us that those things do come out by fasting and by prayer, and when you were walking away you were fasting from it.
Mr. Addonizio: And if you can control yourself you can control the other fellow with whom you are dealing.
FATHER: Yes, it is true.
Secretary: Integrating with one another, or as we call it, enacting the Bill of Rights, reminds me how in the beginning when the Dodgers were starting out it was reported that the manager Branch Rickey, said at the time they were attempting to do this, if FATHER DIVINE could do it he could do it. And everyone knows that FATHER has lifted up a Standard of True Democracy that the world has just begun to copy after. As FATHER said in a Message some time ago that HE came fifty years ahead of time, and we have been doing it all this time, so what HE has done the world has got to do if they are going to have this Peace that passes all understanding.
MOTHER: The sporting world was one of the first to follow the example.
Mr. Doby: Yes I think we are very fortunate to have men who think along the ideas of FATHER DIVINE, and as far as Mr. Rickey is concerned I don't think we could have accomplished as much as has been accomplished in our field or profession during the past fifteen years. As a kid I remember watching baseball but I never dreamed I could play professionally. I had always wanted to, it was one of my fondest desires but it was far from a reality as far as I was concerned, and when it really happened it was a tremendous surprise. It made me think to a point where things can happen if you get the right belief, and people to believe, it can bring it about!
FATHER: It is wonderful.
Secretary: It's like MOTHER said about through your harmonious mental and spiritual contact which was made FATHER blessed you to dine with HIM, well so it is with many people in the business and professional worlds; they have thought on HIM harmoniously and HE has transmitted HIS Thoughts and Ideas to them and they have acted on HIS Ideas and Opinions and get the credit for it. They have followed HIS Ways harmoniously and they are looked upon by the world as having originated these steps and yet they are actually just following in HIS Footsteps --- because as FATHER has often said, "It is immaterial to ME who gets the credit as long as it is done!"
Mr. Doby: Yes.
Mr. Addonizio: And as years go by it will grow, it will grow!
Secretary: Yes, because it is Truth.
Mr. Philip: We have been singing for many, many years songs about integration in buses, on the highways, in schools and in churches and in our every-day activities, and during the years so many public figures politicians, teachers, educators, religious personages etc., have come and seen and then gone out and attempted to put into practice these things, and you can see it is just because of coming in contact with FATHER DIVINE and HIS Work that it is being brought about.
Mr. Addonizio: Yes certainly. During the course of a day my friend and I come in contact with many, many people in our various fields of endeavor and I shall transmit what is in my heart more so, since I have been here and broken bread, than I have ever done. This will always remain indelibly upon my mind and within the recesses of my heart, and as years go on, from me to others, to others, to others!
MOTHER: Well we are in a new day.
FATHER: Aren't you glad!
Staff: Yes, so glad FATHER
MOTHER: FATHER, maybe our guests would like to hear some of the inspirational songs that were mentioned by Mr. Philip.
FATHER: Yes.
(We sing:)
We shall have the Same Rights Not only equal but the Same, Side by side we shall ride In the same car, bus and train, We shall play in the same park, Study our lessons in the same school, There shall be the very same rights For you, and you, and you! Forevermore we shall have the Same Rights We all shall dine face to face, Eternally there shall never be known A creed, color or race, We shall live together And Worship GOD in the same pew, There shall be the very same rights For you, and you, and you!
MOTHER: This next song came out when (U.S. Senator) Bilbo was creating such a stir down in Mississippi. We used to sing "Down with Bilboism" but now we sing "Down with segregation."
(FATHER joins in singing with us:)
D-O-W-N, down with segregation, Down, down, down! Up with Democracy, Let it flood city, village and town; Let is sweep through the country And give its subjects the very same rights Let every woman, man, boy and girl, Help Democracy's banner to be unfurled And clean out the Senate Of all lynch-mob violent leaders; And when they start to filibuster Don't allow them to talk; Just snatch them off the, floor And send them for a walk, For Democracy must flourish In the Land of the Free And its subjects shall have Life, Happiness and Liberty
Secretary: A few years prior to the time that song came out Senator Ellender read FATHER DIVINE'S Righteous Government Platform in Congress, and in doing so he stopped and said to them, words to this effect, "If anything like this goes into effect some of you gentlemen will be sitting next to someone of dark complexion! ---- only he didn't use that word. And almost everything FATHER has proposed in that Platform ---- that was back in l936 ----- has already been fulfilled in government.
Mr. Philip: FATHER, I remember the incident when the Supreme Court Decision on the Integration of public schools came out, how the gentleman from Washington, D.C. made a personal telephone call to YOU to let YOU know about it when it first came through because HE had known YOUR Work and what YOU are doing.
FATHER: Yes
Several other songs including the one taken from the Scripture verse Genesis ll:6, "Behold the people is one," are sung by us and listened to with interest by our guests; then as FATHER glanced at HIS Watch Mr. Addonizio and Mr. Doby again thanked FATHER for HIS gracious hospitality and asked to be excused. They made their way once again to the head of the Table to shake hands with FATHER.)
Mr. Addonizio: Thank YOU FATHER
FATHER (shaking hands with him) : You are welcome I am sure.
Mr. Doby: (shaking hands with FATHER): Thank YOU FATHER and MOTHER very much.
FATHER: You are welcome.
Mr. Addonizio: It has been so kind of YOU and we hope to honor that invitation to come to Philadelphia and visit someday.
FATHER: Yes we will be pleased to have you. Peace, and many Blessings!
Mr. Addonizio and Mr. Doby! Peace!