Left to Right: Sen. Meyers, FATHER DIVINE,
Gov. Gen. Ed. Martin, Mayor Bernard Samuels
The program had been in progress since shortly after eight that evening, but as this was one of our own Church meeting nights and our LORD and SAVIOR, besides attending to HIS other many and varied activities was supposed to Personally preside at the Righteous Government meeting at the Unity Mission Church, and then later serve the Holy Communion Service there -- it was for this cause that FATHER had said HE might find time to drop in at Convention Hall for a little while if HE were not otherwise engaged at the time.
Therefore, it was rather late before FATHER could leave the Services at the Unity Mission Church. The Rosebud Choir had rendered several inspirational patriotic selections which were received with enthusiasm by the vast audience. Upon FATHER and Mrs. DIVINE and part of HIS immediate Staff's arrival in the Deusenberg, they were greeted graciously and escorted through the huge auditorium to the rostrum. After the introductions were made between the various guests present, and FATHER and Mrs. DIVINE, the program was again resumed.
Reverend C. M. Smith of the Whalen Temple Baptist Church arose to introduce FATHER and HE delivered this vital and very timely Address after being introduced by Reverend Smith as follows:
Another high point has been reached in our program and in the united front being presented against the evils of this day! It is our pleasure at this time to present to you the Reverend M. J. Divine Who will speak to you at this time! I thank you.
FATHER stepped forward to speak as follows:
PEACE, EVERYONE: At this time I have arisen to say as usual, Good Health, Good Will and a Good Appetite; Good Manners, Good Behavior, All Success and All Prosperity; Life, Liberty and the Reality of Happiness! We do not merely use these salutations, in other words, Sayings as a Salutation, but we use them because we desire to see everybody be partakers of all of these Qualities and Virtues for which we stand. And the last but not least, we do say righteousness, justice and truth; life, liberty and the reality of happiness! This is what our boys fought for on foreign fields; to bring about righteousness, justice and truth and also to bring Life, liberty and the reality of happiness!
We stress these thoughts because we quite often say the Pursuit of Happiness, but oh, how glorious it is to realize all of these Blessings of GOD to the children of men can be acquired, not only for those of us on the Home Front but for those who fought and still are fighting on the foreign fields of the inhuman warfare of man!
We are here tonight, no doubt, to show our respects for those who fought on foreign soil and to give homage to those of whom have actually sacrificed their lives fighting for Democracy, while we, the people on this side -- those of us who are standing for the same have stood implicitly, conscientiously and sincerely with a determination to bring democracy in action, so that we, the people of this great nation, might so consolidate until the time when we will no longer be considered as races, creeds and colors.
MY Fellow Citizens, Brethren and Ladies and Gentlemen, I have sacrificed MY Body, not necessarily on foreign fields but among the savages of this Land and Country, to bring about brotherhood, democracy and christianity as synonymous! We are working to that end, without fear of a contradiction, that we mean to lift up a Standard for this people and tell and show Israel her transgressions and the House of Jacob her sins, so that they might turn to GOD and live and look diligently to that for which your fathers and mothers prayed: the universal brotherhood of man and the consciousness of the FATHERHOOD of GOD!
We are happy to say that our Belief as we assemble here tonight, of every race, creed and color, representing Democracy in Action is, we are making strides towards that UNIVERSAL BROTHERHOOD of man of which I AM so often speaking! Now aren't you glad! We do not believe your boys and others have fought in vain, even though it may not be in evidence legally in parts of this country; but yet we know that we are coming nearer and nearer to the landmark and to your mark of your higher calling in GOD, whereby we will come together, not only on such an occasion as this, but we will learn to Live together; we will learn to work together; we will learn to stand together, for we are american citizens! It may not be done immediately by the Army and the Navy, but by the past and present experience we learn that unity will solve your problems!
In the time of this very late World War all of our representatives of government, civic and social and religious organizations were calling for the Unity of the Spirit, of Mind, of Aim and of Purpose. They may not have used MY Phrase but that is what you, MY Fellow Citizens, were calling for; calling for us to unite on the home front and unite abroad so that we, as allies, might be able to overcome the common enemy of Democracy.
And as we endeavored to do so and did, in a great measure we WON the VICTORY over the enemy and brought about PEACE and REST at HOME where your mothers and your fathers were here toiling through their prayers, through their supplication, through their sweat and hard labor otherwise; you were trying to bring yourself in a closer relationship with your fellowman and with those with whom you have to do. It was an emergency!
It is a common phrase quite often used here in America:
'Man's extremity is GOD'S Opportunity!'
When man has come to his extremity and you can do not more, at every time and
in every trial and every tribulation, you know where to look to and you know
to Whom to call! As a rule you, MY Fellow Citizens as American people, do call
on GOD! You call for deliverance from a Supernatural Realm and you look to GOD
to Whom all Power and Honor are given; and at such time of an emergency you usually
get results! Because you have come to your extremity GOD has an opportunity,
GOD has a chance to express and GOD has a chance to protect!
For this cause I do rejoice and I AM glad because you have learned the way to win the victory! Do not wait for another emergency to get together, but let us live together and let there be no division among you!
I quite often think of our pledge of Allegiance to our Flag, and I cannot stress that thought too vividly. When we pledge Allegiance to our Flag we do say, 'One nation, indivisible'. Let us live it and express it in the actuated words of expression by living our CONSTITUTION and by ENACTING our BILL of RIGHTS!
What a privilege to present to the world such an audience as this, where we are living in Unison and expressing a real citizenry of a true democracy! The enemy of your soul, that is invisible, cannot have access to express itself if we, the people, unite and live in unison!
We have been told that JESUS, the great Love Master said,
'Wheresoever two or three are gathered together in MY Name, touching and agreeing upon the one thing that is needful, there I will be in the midst of them to bless the needy!'
I do not have to ask you, is it not needful that the people unite to conquer the enemy, but you know it within yourselves! You can touch and agree upon the one thing that is needful -- that we, the people, might unite together and express our citizenry as real citizens of a true democracy!
This is not merely emphasized or illustrated for the purpose of having something to say, but we stress it for the purpose of having somewhere to live! As we live in the Unity of the Spirit, of Mind, of Aim and of Purpose and UNITE, as we have been required to do by the great Love Master, you will find that GOD in the midst of you will give you VICTORY in and over every difficulty, over every trial and every tribulation, and will establish your going in the Land of the Living!
There are those among you of the under-privileged, the non privileged, the downtrodden, the mistreated and the cast-out, but when we lift up a Standard of democracy and bring an abolition to segregation within ourselves, we can also bring an end to slum conditions and localization, where localization will have no limitation or no barrier, whichever, and you will not be handicapped or prohibited from living as real respectable citizens in any part of this, the united states of america!
I mention this because you know localization has a great influence and has access among the children of men because of segregation and discrimination. You are not privileged to live in some parts of this city, a good many of you are not. Some are not privileged to ride on trains. Some are limited and handicapped on every side, all because of the lack of democracy being put into action! But I came here to act and enact democracy in every deed and every field of activity, until we can bring an end to barbarism, savagery and brutality among the inhabitants of the earth!
But this is not accomplished necessarily by violence, but by righteousness; for what said the Scripture concerning the mystery?
'Righteousness exalts the nation whilst sin is a reproach to any people!'
Aren't you glad! Live Righteously, Soberly and Godly and bring an end to your
customs of ideas and opinions of your discriminatory practices and live in the
Unity of the Spirit, of Mind, of Aim and of Purpose! You can win the victory
over adverse conditions in the land in which you are living; even in your respective
localities and vicinities you can bring about Peace, Unity and Tranquility --
what your Constitution and your Declaration of Independence called for!
'We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal!They are endowed with the unalienable rights to Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness!'
Now if we believe that, let us live it and express it and put it into practice with our fellow men with whom we come in contact, and do away with all of our preconceived prejudices, bigotry, and learn to come together! If we do we will overcome all adverse and undesirable conditions. The mouth of GOD has declared it!
What said HE concerning the Mystery?
'He that puts his trust in ME shall never be confounded!'
If you, MY Fellow Citizens, will realize, GOD in the midst of you is mighty to
save, to give you your real emancipation -- not only from some limited degree
or to some limited degree but mighty to save -- and give you your real emancipation
from every angle expressible and establish your going as real american citizens!
I want to say to the mothers of the boys that went overseas: you brought up your boys as american citizens and you desired to see them free. You do not feel as they should be limited to the slum vicinities and localities. For this cause let us unite consolidatedly and stand firm for democracy and in every manner possible express democracy! Unite together! Do not sever yourselves from your friends and your neighbors! Realize,
'Together we stand, but divided we fall'!
I do not wish to bore you, MY Fellow Citizens and Friends, but I AM just slightly sketching and reflecting some thoughts of MY Mind concerning what we have done and what we are now doing to bring about what your boys fought for on the other side! Now, if you will take cognizance of what you have Seen and heard and what you are presently experiencing in this Convention Hall in the City of Brotherly Love, where all of us, as many denominations, creeds and religions and so-called colors and nationalities, are gathered, we can come together here and come together for one common purpose politically and legally!
(As a scattered few in the audience arose as if to go, FATHER said:)
I do not wish to bore you. There be some among you that are no doubt obliged to return to your respective places of worship or home, as well as MYSELF. For this cause those who desire to go, you are excused! But I do believe that there are some under the sound of MY Voice desire to hear what I have to say! There are some that are under the sound of MY Voice realize that I have something to give if you will allow ME to! I have something to offer MY Fellow Citizens, not only in words but in deeds and in actions, so that you might copy after the fashion I have shown you, how to master the economic situation, how to solve your economic problems and all of your problems that confront you, by the recognition of GOD'S actual presence and by living in accord with HIM!
Now I will not have very much more to say at this instance. I believe there has been enough said, even in the Message that I have given through the Rosebud Chorus. I have spoken to you of Democracy, I have spoken to you of Brotherhood, I have spoken to you of Christianity and I mean to continue to speak it more explicitly until others will get it and begin to live it; and after a while we will be able to do away with lynch-mob violence in this Land and Country and in all countries where it has ever been!
We can cope with these things only through and by the spirit of HIM Who said,
'Love thy neighbor as thyself!'
You cannot overcome the enemy by violence! You may conquer him in one place --
he will rise again! But if you conquer him with the spirit of GOD'S actual presence,
of love and devotion for god and co-operation with your fellow men, you will
conquer him once and forever and there will be no more an occasion of warfare,
of bloodshed, of race riots and of division and confusion among this people!
Because as you express it and others see it and catch it, they too will realize
it is better to live in harmony and in unity than to live in confusion, in division
and strife! For
'Where there is division there is strife but where there is Union (or Unity) there is Strength!'
I hope some day in the near future to bring to you, my fellow citizens, hearers and friends, something that you will be obliged to realize GOD alone can produce -- unity and brotherhood in reality and an abolition of all slum conditions and of all of the breadlines in your city! Bring an end to lacks, wants and limitations wheresoever it may have been found, by the unity of the spirit, of mind, of aim and of purpose by living our constitution and by enacting the bill of rights, as afore said! By walking in the light as the light is given and by giving our time and talent and our service to humanity for the good of all humanity!
Now I hope you will not consider these remarks as a Sermon. I did not come to preach because I know that there are many ministers here and other speakers who have already spoken, but just to show MY Appreciation to you for what our Honored Speaker and representatives are presenting; also to let those of the war mothers know that even though I may not be acquainted with you Personally, you have MY Sympathy and you have MY Co-operation and you will have MY Support whensoever it is possible to do so, in some small degree, if it is only to give your boys a word of encouragement, to let them know that they have not been fighting in vain; to let them know that I AM with them, though I AM not a warrior, though I represent Peace!
This Message I gave, and also recorded it on a Peace Stamp to the world at large, to let them see and know, when we unite together and stick for one common purpose, the enemy will be willing to surrender and surrender unconditionally!
The Fascists, as I had said, surrendered unconditionally! And after the Fascists surrendered unconditionally by the manpower and by the natural and national resources being so much greater than what they could produce, the enemy Surrendered unconditionally! After which it led germany, the nazis, to surrender unconditionally! And I sent a 'v' letter to hirohito, demanding an unconditional surrender, and warned them what would come if they did not surrender, because I knew, though I had not been told!
Truly, shortly thereafter I sent the Message, the Atomic bomb began to fall and the enemy could see that they could not stand against such a power as the allies united consolidatedly, with manpower and the army and navy and all of the power that be; and then with the power of GOD behind them, they knew they could not stand; therefore, they surrendered unconditionally!
That is the same point today for consideration! All of your enemies individually, severally and collectively, if you will Unite consolidatedly and be as one man at Jerusalem and live according to same, they will surrender unconditionally , as they surrender to me! I thank you!
(FATHER invited the dignitaries to attend the Holy Communion Services at the Unity Mission Church after the program, and FATHER and Mrs. DIVINE and Staff were escorted through the crowd to the waiting car.)
New Day: November 16, 1946 A.D.F.D.
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