Father Divine

Father Divine they call him
The Inspiration behind
The Divine Tracy Hotel
In the heart of Philadelphia
The birthplace of
The Greatest Nation on earth today.

Father Divine is no other than
The Black American Hero
Who founded the Peace Mission Movement
That caused stir and uproar in the USA
Including a jail sentence for the man
For many a thing uncommon he did
During the first half of the 20th Century

Not only did he heal, feed, clothe
And provide shelter
For thousands of poor people
In New York’s Harlem and elsewhere
At little or no cost to them,
But he would not reveal
Where the money came from.

Not only did he marry a white woman
A non-no in those days
And called the event a marriage in spirit,
But claimed himself
To add fuel to the fire
To be an Incarnation
Of Jesus the Christ,
The only begotten Son of God.

Often do we hear some mystics
Of Modern India
That claim equal status
With Jesus the Christ
As incarnations of God the Almighty

Little did I know however
That there were people
In the Christian tradition
That made such claims
Till I read the story of Father Divine.