FATHER DIVINE Serving
Holy Communion at Rockland Palace, N.Y.C., 1837
This beautiful Message given on this A. M. by our LORD and Savior, deeply impressed the minds of all present. The thoughts conveyed herein truly bring to one and all, the significance of living righteously, soberly and Godly in our present day existence in order that we might put a stop to all wars, race riots, division and discrimination among the different nations.
The increasing strife and hatred that is prevalent among the countries of our so-called civilized, advanced generation is causing the people to realize the necessity and importance of turning from the disillusionments of their standard of righteousness to seek the exemplification of all Righteousness, Truth and Justice which is recognized by at least fifty million throughout the world to be FATHER DIVINE!
Read yourselves this glorious Message and imbibe the Spirit of it by practicing what it teaches in your daily lives and affairs.
(The foregoing statements are those of the transcriber, after which FATHER speaks as follows:)
PEACE EVERYONE! Everybody happy? So AM I! I have arisen at this instance to say I heard one of the speakers say today that I may work passively and apparently harmlessly but I usually accomplish that for which I attempt, in other words, that for which I start after. I AM not speaking in the exact words but the words were to that effect.
When the last speaker mentioned a little while ago at least, when it was mentioned about in reference to the last speaker's representing the Worker's Union, I thought of as was said then, I do not work as others but yet I usually get the same effect.
I would like to say in reference to My coworkers, followers, friends and participators, admirers and those who appreciate My Mission, we request the honor of all of the people, those of the employers and the employees to consider each other's burdens. Those of the employers should not be enemies to the employees as being called their servants, and those of the employees should not be enemies to those of the employers as being called their bosses or employers. They should stop and consider we are all living in the U.S. and all should work for one common aim, to help all of us!
U.S. spells Us; they are all living in US; therefore they should not divide against themselves for "The kingdom that divides against itself, it cannot stand!"
The reason we stand so solidly together where there is no division among us, it is because of the Unity of the Spirit, of Mind, of Aim and of Purpose; if not unified in all things, on the main point of life My followers together are unified!
So long as you are in the Unity of Spirit, of Mind, of Aim and of Purpose and harmonize together, realizing you live in the U.S., whilst we are all living in US together, we should not be severed, for if we divide against ourselves how can we expect to stand and have victory over depressions, lacks, wants and limitations, some of those ferocious enemies to the children of men! But if we stand for the common good of each and everyone, the employer will not try to rob the employee; therefore I wish to say in reference to the janitors throughout the country, as a national figure I AM speaking of this Country at this particular instance: they should consider they should be paid a living wage.
It has been My Work for many years to encourage people to be Honest, Competent and True, both of the employees and the employers! Each of these should be True, Honest and Competent. If you will not pay your employee as much as he should earn per week or per day or per hour, you are robbing your fellowman out of that which is due him! The employee, if he or she does not give an honest day's work for that which he is getting paid, he is robbing his employer!
Then I say we should learn as real American citizens to be American citizens characteristically and dispositionally, not so much merely going in the name of being American citizens but permit ME to produce the spirit and the meaning of the Declaration of Independence and also the spirit and the meaning of the Constitution and its Amendments! I bring these qualities into fruition in MYSELF Individually and demonstrate it to others as a Sample and as an Example for them that they might all become to be unselfish, independent American citizens by taking on the nature and the characteristics of this Country and allow it to be the U.S. in reality.
Again I wish to verify the statement, the U.S., the "US" E Pluribus Unum, One composed of many, the only Hope of your Redemption, to unify yourselves together to be real American citizens. To be real representatives of the human race we must unify ourselves together and recognize the Universal Brotherhood of man and the conscious recognition and the realization of the FATHERHOOD of GOD!
Then I say we should work harmoniously together, but it is true, where the employer will rob the employees as has been declared, I will be a swift witness against them, for what said I by inspiration through the revelationic prediction of Malachi the prophet?
'I will be a swift witness against them, or those who oppress the widow and the orphan, the hireling in his wages and will not come nigh to ME in judgment!'
The employer in a great measure in most places has not considered the employee.
The employer in a great measure has robbed the poor and the needy! The employer
has enjoyed himself and made himself fat on the sweat of the brow of the employee,
but yet not considering the employee as a human being in a great measure in some
places and such has been the experience in the community and elsewhere in reference
to the janitor service.
There are those who will take men and put them in the cellar and consider they are giving them something just to keep them in the cellar to serve them! As was said, each one should earn a living wage and should have his apartment if he has an apartment in the basement or in the cellar, it should be absolutely gratis with a living wage for himself and his co-tenant! I AM mentioning this that you might see and know I AM not endorsing the employer robbing the employee! I AM not endorsing the bosses robbing the employees! Right on the other hand you may see ME state I AM not endorsing the employees robbing the employers, for if you steal one minute's time it may corrupt your whole bank roll! Suppose you would be earning fifty or sixty cent an hour, just say not more than that; for you to stop five minutes and do not want your employer to know it and rob him out of five minute's time, that is a nickel. Can you not see the mystery?
Then I say, graft and greed has been eating up the people and keeping division among all nations and keeping misery, disappointment and failure in evidence, but if each and every person would learn to be Honest, Competent and True by getting after the graft and greed within and casting those things out of himself and themselves, we would have a Righteous Judgment to exemplify and to demonstrate to others.
From the Righteous Judgment I drafted My Righteous Government Platform. The Righteous Government Platform of the Peace Mission Movement, as it may be termed, is My Version concerning labor, employment and a good many things, although there are many more points of view, I will yet make known and will reveal to you as the time goes on.
Then we shall have a Righteous Government! I will not tolerate the employee robbing the employer and I will not tolerate the employer robbing the employee. Now someone may say, "How can you stop it?" I say we shall have a Righteous Government!
In reference to employment as a janitor and janitress, you should have a living wage as a janitor the same as you should in any other position. You should have some consideration by your employer the same as you would in the office, in other words, the same as you should in an office.
Then I say we shall have a Righteous Government! I believe this Movement is quite efficient to warrant (the attention) men of all of the walks of life that we can and will come pretty near doing whatsoever I endeavor! We are not bothering about the oppositions!
'Every knock is a boost and every criticism is a praise!'
All oppositions, whether they be apparently for ME or against ME, that which
I endeavor I will accomplish and naught shall hinder! This is believed to be
true by all of My followers. They are just radical enough as it may be termed
radicalness, to believe everything I say, and yet I do believe in a passive revolution.
I do not believe in overcoming by violence but by Righteousness, by Truth and
by Integrity with a Righteous Judgment to back it. Aren't you glad?
But I do not think because I believe in passiveness that we will tolerate any malicious violence to take action as some have attempted against My following. I have often mentioned a story of a little lamb. Once there was a little lamb and he happened to be a little he-lamb and he grew up to be a great ram. He was on the mountain side one day grazing and he came in contact with some goats, and the great big billy came after him and the ram just (Father demonstrated how the ram butted the goat to the great delight of all.) The goat did the rushing up and jumping up and jumping back but the ram stood his ground and just let him come every time and the ram would just sock him or ram him! I said he would just sock him or ram him whichever, and after a while the male goat found out he was not quite as tough as the ram was. The ram's head was a little bit harder than the goat's, so the ram had grown up to be hard-headed too! So the story goes the ram licked the goat and the goat went off.
Now we believe in a passive method of overcoming every opposition. We can and we will overcome them but I AM here to say the he-lamb grows up to be a ram! His head is getting pretty hard now! We shall have a Righteous Government and we shall not go out and seek a fight and we shall not contend in the act of violence but of course, if we happen to be on the job and anyone comes upon us, why, we may just (Father again demonstrates how the ram butted the big billy and the children shouted with glee.)
We have been taught this by our national heritage. We have been taught the Declaration of Independence as a nation by this Country and we have inculcated and reincarnated the spirit and the characteristics and the nature of it; therefore we will not tolerate invasions! As the Country declared her Independence, even so declare I My and My follower's Independence in and under the Constitution, independent to every opposition! Even if something would rise under the Constitution that would call itself legal, we will not tolerate invasions. It is wonderful!
We shall have a Righteous Government, therefore we shall continue to press forward in the act of establishing our Righteous Government according to our Righteous Government Platform and we shall demand that which is just and right for each and everyone, both the employer and the employee and we will not tolerate the employer robbing the employee, neither will we endorse nor tolerate the employee robbing the employer, for I shall judge the world with equity! The spirit of equalization shall be put forth into expression in our lives so vividly we will be able to weigh things on the scale of justice, the Mind of CHRIST that is within us!
Then I say we are endorsing the effort in a righteous and a just manner of expression in demanding wages for janitors, not only in this community but in all communities. Why should they be obliged to work and not receive a salary just because they are sheltered in the cellar or basement in the building where they are working? They should have a salary and a salary that means enough to support them that they might live independent to produce this of which I AM stressing: the Real Spirit of Independence in all of the people. But how can you expect men to be independent unless they are paid a living wage that they might be Honest, Competent and True and not be thieves and robbers among you?
Thousands of people today are thieves and have been thieves because of not having money to meet their daily demands and some of them will attempt to justify themselves by so doing when they are hungry; for those of you who know the Gospel, the Gospel will partially endorse it. Have you not read when Jesus and His disciples were hungry, when they went through the corn field, the disciples being hungry, they plucked the ears of corn and did eat, rubbing them in their mouths.
Now there are those who would attempt to justify themselves in stealing when they are hungry and they would take that passage of Scripture to justify themselves. Therefore, feed the people as I do and give them living wages and they will not have occasion to be hungry, to become to be thieves and robbers. That is the only way to accomplish something.
In business, profession, labor or trade, do unto others as you would have them do to you! They will be obliged to do to you as you would have them do to you or else they will wrong their own conscience and condemn themselves before the bar of justice! Can you not see how My followers follow ME? Even My visiting friends, those who come around, they do not feel like going home! What is the matter? Because of that desirable something, Something that satisfies their desires! If every individual will learn to reflect such as is desired by all mankind, they will attract them and draw them to them and naught will be able to sever them!
Just as you sit and stand in this dining room without even hardly any standing room around anywhere, even so closely and solidly connected you are mentally and spiritually and so closely connected relatively with ME by the Spirit and by the Mind and by the Life I AM exemplifying.
Then if we learn to live such a Life that is appealing and happy and satisfying to the mind and to the soul and the body, you will live harmoniously together and all distinction and discrimination and segregation will be eradicated once and forever and Peace and Pleasure will be in evidence where there was confusion! Aren't you glad?
Then I say, let us live in this recognition and continue to abide in the Spirit and be in the Unity of the Spirit, of Mind, of Aim and of Purpose, but whatsoever you do, see to it that you are unselfish! Then I say we can co-operate in anything that stands for Right for the Right, in other words, for Righteousness, for Truth and for Justice!
The word Righteousness means Right-use-ness the Right-use-ness of all things! When we call for a Righteous Government, we want a Righteous Government! We want the Right-use-ness of our daily activities, our ambition and our understanding and all that we are representing. We want the understanding to use it Rightfully and have the Right-use-ness of it and if we do, we will be Successful, Prosperous, Healthy and Happy and the people will learn to love us, those of us who are employees and those who are employers, if we are employers. All will learn to unify together and think and act and look out for one common purpose, for the common good of each and all of us. I thank you.
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