FATHER and MOTHER DIVINE
in the Chapel Dining Room,
The Mount of the House of the Lord.
Under the jurisdiction of the Peace Mission Movement no marriage ceremonies are performed. Anyone who embraces the Teaching automatically embraces a celibate life. Through the revelation and conviction that FATHER DIVINE is GOD, the followers become so at-one with HIM that they are joined to HIM in Spirit and in Truth as though through marriage. In Ephesians 5:31-32 it is written:
'For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh. - 'This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church.'
Hence it follows that when one exits the parental domicile to marry, one should marry GOD, even as CHRIST married the Church. Men and women marrying GOD precludes them from taking husbands and wives as mates, and therefore frees them from ties to persons and personalities. They become independent of all other people and dependent solely upon GOD to be their Soul mate and Provider. FATHER DIVINE stresses the all-importance of mating with one's Soul mate, and having the sweet intimacy of this relationship with GOD. In a Message HE gave January 30,1936, HE describes it:
'GOD is your soul's mate, not matter, I AM not speaking of personality; I AM not speaking of sex, nor a visible expression; I AM not speaking of masculines and feminines. I AM speaking of the Impersonal Presence, yet with or without a person the same forever throughout all eternity. Your soul's mate should mate with your soul continually. Even though it may be lying dormant in your subconsciousness, your soul's mate should be there, resting comfortably, undisturbed, and you should be unmoved and undisturbed saving as HE moves on the altar of the heart and causes you to cooperate with HIM. - THE NEW DAY. May 11, 1977, p.1.
In the face of this prohibition on marriage in the Peace Mission Movement, it has seemed exceedingly disruptive to many that FATHER DIVINE married. With characteristic fortitude, however, HE pursued the course that HE perceived to be essential for the elevation and salvation of the people, knowing that HIS action would be widely misunderstood.
Editor's Note: Lest MOTHER DIVINE be thought arrogant and presumptuous because of the attributes ascribed to Her, the editor hastens to state that MOTHER DIVINE. in the fashion of all truly great people, is perhaps the most humble of all the followers of FATHER DIVINE, in that She rests completely in the knowledge of Her nothingness and GOD'S Allness. She does not ascribe these attributes to Herself on Her own Authority. All the statements made about MOTHER DIVINE in these paragraphs were made by FATHER DIVINE - Whose Supreme Authority is beyond question.
MOTHER DIVINE
In 1946 FATHER DIVINE, Chose One From Among HIS Followers to be HIS Bride.
She, in Her Spotless Virginity,
Was a Sample and Example for All Others to Emulate.
In MOTHER DIVINE, FATHER found One with love and obedience sufficient to qualify Her to unify completely with HIM. Through the perfection of the life of humanity in this One, all of humanity could be partakers of this same perfection by visualizing this Perfection in Her, and by partaking of the same consciousness of GOD'S Presence in which She lives, through self-denial and consecration.
The Virgin Mary recognized Her LORD and bowed before HIM in Her day. MOTHER DIVINE is the same Virgin Mary, reincarnated, recognizing and bowing before Her LORD in this day and time. She appeared first in the Person of Peninnah, who married FATHER DIVINE on June 6, 1882. Peninnah, the first Mother Divine, recognized FATHER DIVINE to be the living CHRIST. Through Their Marriage, THEY propagated honesty, competence and truth in all those who were drawn to FATHER by the revelation of the Presence of GOD on earth in a bodily form. Then because HIS Personal Ministry increased so greatly, this Mother Divine desired to pass and be reborn in a more youthful body in which She could be of greater service. FATHER DIVINE did not encourage Her in that thought; yet HE suffered it to come to pass as She wished.
Thus the Spirit of the Virgin Mary, reincarnated in the first Mother Divine, was again reincarnated in a young girl who was not under FATHER DIVINE'S immediate jurisdiction, but three thousand miles away on the west coast of Canada. When 'Sweet Angel' became of age, She crossed the border to Philadelphia and declared to FATHER DIVINE, 'I want to marry YOU because I know YOU are GOD.' In explaining this extraordinary occurrence FATHER DIVINE said in a Sermon HE gave August 11, 1946:
'MY Spirit went across the border and taught this virtuous, untouched, incorruptible and undefiled Bride from infancy taught Her Americanism and the documents of our great Government until She was converted into Americanism so vividly and so conscientiously and sincerely, She desired to be an American citizen.' - THE NEW DAY, August 17,1946, p.3
FATHER stated further that She could not have been worthy to marry HIM had She not been willing to sacrifice all racism and nationalism, and voluntarily leave mother, father, sisters and brothers for the gain of CHRIST Whom She loved wholeheartedly.
FATHER DIVINE'S Marriage to MOTHER DIVINE is purely spiritual. It illustrates how all others should be joined to HIM through the conviction that HE is the Personified CHRIST. Because both society and Government require marriages to be performed according to legal procedure however, FATHER and MOTHER DIVINE motored to Washington, D.C. on April 29, 1946 and were legally married. This Marriage - the Marriage of CHRIST to HIS Church - consummated the union of GOD and man and the fusion of Heaven and earth as spoken of in the Book of Revelation. The Marriage was neither for the satisfaction of lust and passion or for physical propagation but is wholly spiritual and magnifies the qualities of Virginity, Honesty, Competence, Truth and Brotherhood. Its importance is underscored by FATHER DIVINE declaring in 1948 that April 29th be an International, Interracial, Universal Holiday.
The profound meaning of this Marriage can best be described by FATHER HIMSELF in a Sermon HE delivered on April 30, 1953:
'As by the disobedience of one man all men became sinners and made subject to death and destruction, now as by the obedience of one and by bringing in this Virtuous, Holy, Immaculate Marriage, . . . all mankind can be purged from all dross of sin, self-indulgence, sex-indulgence, and every mortal versionated concept, that they might too, as well as those of MINE, be partakers of this innate Nature of the CHRIST that was silent in the invisible realm of men.' - THE NEW DAY, May 9,1953, p.16
For those with eyes to see, the Scripture is now fulfilled as John spoke in Revelation 19:7-9:
'....let us be glad and rejoice, and give honor to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready.
'And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints.
'And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb.'
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