Peace in Harlem
--Eugene V. Etler

Another of my father's poems that is as relevant today as the day it was written. In the 1930s Father Divine captivated his multi-racial audiences. Both black and white worshipers swooned to his sermons. Father Divine, like other charismatic leaders, was neither all good nor all bad. He did good works but also deflected people away from engaging in the active struggle for social and economic justice.

Wikipedia states: Father Divine claimed to be God. Some contemporary critics also claimed he was a charlatan, and some suppose him to be one of the first modern cult leaders. However, Father Divine made numerous contributions toward his followers' economic independence and racial equality. Father Divine was a contemporary of other religious leaders at that time such as Daddy Grace, Charles Harrison Mason, Noble Drew Ali and James F. Jones also known as Prophet Jones. Another minister by the name of Jones would play a significant part in a brief struggle to gain control of the Peace Mission following Divine's death - Jim Jones, of the 'apostolic socialist' movement Peoples Temple.

What follows is the poem "Peace in Harlem" that captures the contradictory nature of Father Divines mission.

Peace in Harlem -- Eugene V. Etler

There is a new kind of peace to be found
And that is in Harlem.
It is a peace that is wonderful.
A peace that wrecks havoc
With the human mind.
It's a peace that's set to a rhythm
It's a peace that cries
Let's escape from this everyday life
Let us enter into the realm of our minds.

Let us forget hunger and poverty
And forget that we are the down trodden.
For we will find ourselves equalized in the cry of ----- Peace -----
Peace – Father – Peace.

Peace!
God is wonderful
And Father Divine is God.

Father Divine is God -----

Yes, brothers and sisters
I came under the fold
Under the fold of Father Divine
And I'm here
And I say
Father Divine is wonderful.

He plucked me from the streets
And he made me what I am today
A good woman
Yes, brothers and sisters, a good woman.

What was I
A thief
And what am I today?
A good woman.

Father Divine
Blessed be his name.
He took me from the streets.
He fed me and clothed me
And he showed me a light
And he showed me how to fight
That evil of sin -----

Yes, he took me in
And he fed me
And he clothed me
And he showed me
The heavenly path.
Yes, brothers
Yes, sisters
He gave new birth to me.

Oh, yes.
I was reborn
And God did it
And God is
Father Divine.

And I'm here and I say
Sing your praises
To him -----

He is wonderful
Wonderful, wonderful -----
Peace – brothers
Peace – sisters.

Oh, Father
Oh, Lord
Your presence is mine.
You're here.
You've entered my sinful body.
You've bathed me
With the light of your presence
And I thank you,
I thank you, I thank you –
Oh, Father -----
You are wonderful!

Father Divine is a lovely thing
  Father Divine is a holy thing.
Father Divine is a lovely thing
  Father Divine is a holy thing.

And the darkness of the bodies
Printed gaily in the dresses
Swaying to the rhythm
Escaping to the rhythm
Of -----
It's wonderful to be in love with Father Divine
It's wonderful to be in love with him.
And over and over and over
To the clapping of the hands
And the beating of the feet
And the swaying of the bodies
And the lightning in the eyes
Oh, it's wonderful to be in love with father
It's wonderful to be in love with him.

Oh, the madness and the rhythm
The fanaticism and the rhythm.
What are we and where are we
Down below in this cellar?
What is this –
Swaying of the bodies
Contortions of the bodies
Confessions of the souls
Cleansing of the souls?

Is this something mad
Or is this something wonderful?

Perceive -----

Father Divine is God
And a little child shall lead them.

Father lifted me
When nothing else would help.

For it's Father  Father  Father
    Father  Father  Father
That re-echoes in your ears
And brings your blood
Pulsing to a million fears
For it's Father  Father  Father
    Father  Father  Father
Look at our tears
Our tears
Forming into a flood
Noah's flood
For the love of you --- Oh, Father!

It's Father Divine that you eat
And it's He that you sleep
And it's He that you love.
Oh, it's Father  Father  Father
    Father  Father  Father
Listen to your children
Listen to your children calling -----

And it's beat
And it's clap
To the rhythm
Of the Lord
To the Lord
Our Father
Father Divine.

And you can't keep quiet
And you must keep moving
Sing  Sing  Sing  Sing
And it's the piano
And it's the drum
African piano
African drum
Together
It's rhythm
Rhythm
God's rhythm
Oh, body get a moving
Sway body
It's the Lord that's in you
And you go to shake
You can't keep quiet
That's rhythm
God's rhythm got a hold of you
Just got a hold of you
And it's calling for you to shake
God is calling

Father is calling
Oh, listen to us Father
We feel you Father
And -----

I love to feel Father's love
Flowing through my veins
 love to feel Father's love
Flowing through my veins -----

Father Divine is wonderful
And Father Divine is God -----

Oh, Father
Father

Peace!

Peace is found in Harlem
A new kind of peace
And Harlem has flocked
And taken to their bosoms
Peace as their byword
For happiness.

Yes, Harlem has escaped
No more is hunger a problem
Though the belly is empty.
No more is sickness a problem
Though pestilence stalks its way
Through Harlem's streets.
Yes, poverty is gone
And Harlem starves
But life is wonderful
Wonderful
For a new messiah has risen
Father ----- Father Divine


Peace!