Belington progressive. [volume] (Belington, W. Va.) 1912-1927, 1914-04-23
LIFE WORTH WHILE
Existence Of Service, Sacrifice
and Love Hereafter to Be
Well Rewarded.

THERE has never been a time when
the question, as 10 whether life is
worth living. has not been asked, and
there has never been time. perhaps.
when there did not seem to be good
reason for its asking. When we con-
slider the tragic experiences which
have to be undergone by the average
Individual the diseases which. have
TO be fought. the pains which have to
be endured, the SORROWS OF accident
and death which have to be met, the
sordid struggle for the material me-
cessities of existence which constitutes
the whole content of life for the ma
iority of men. the blasted hopes and
ambitions and ruined faiths which
sooner or later cloud even the most
fortunate career; and when we add to
this catalogue of disaster the fact that
there seems to be no relation between
the suffering to be borne on the one
hand and the moral deserts of the suf-
ferer on the other. we begin to see
that the question as to the worth
Wilderness OF life is not perhaps so
futile or wicked after ALL Certainly
there have been men overwhelmed by
"a sea OF troubles who would seem
to have excuse for asserting that the
game is not worth the candle.
Lies Time Measurement.
As to the actual facts which are in
yolved in this problem am not at this
moment concerned. save to point out
that the question in the form, In which
1t is usually presented Is incapable Of
being answered In any real investi-
cation OF the matter each individual
life would have to be taken by itself,
and balance of gains and losses
struck In each case. For some persons
life would be proved to be on the
whole worth living; for others, per-
haps not.
What am concerned with at this
time ID the attitude toward life which
is revealed by the putting Of this
question. | want to ask what moral
right we have 70 make such an inquiry
at ali? Every right no doubt, If we
are put into this world merely to be
the recipients OF certain blessings.
Every right. IL the one end and aim
of existence is to EAT, drink and BIO
merry" to look upon sights OF beauty
and listen to sweet cadences OF song,
TO recline on cushions of ease and
sleep beneath starlit skies. Every
right, II life is to be measured by the
pleasures received, and IL every pain
suffered or misfortune encountered Ia
to be deducted from the amount Of
credit to which we are entitled. From
this point Of view II may well be re-
garded as questionable Ii life IL worth
living for most persons.
Wrong View OF Existence.
But what right have we to interpret
life from any such point of view as
this? Ii it not one of the surest OF
spiritual truths, attested by the proph-
cts and provided by all valid expert
ence. that we are here in this world
not to have. but to do; not to receive,
but to give; mot to be ministered
unto, but to minister" Life, properly
understood, is an open door to service.
sacrifice and love-rit is an opportun-
lily W SulltS Sfiis ioblCi Boou, bttSuSth-
en- weakness, heal distress, labor for
Justice. righteousness and peace.
Wherefore are we born, asks the
heroic knight in Tennyson's 'Idylls.'
II not to live pure speak true, right
wrong, follow the King?" And II we
have even the smallest chance to do
any of these things shall we not find
life worth living, even as the fireman
finds the blaze worth fighting and the
soldier the shock OF battle worth
meeting?
Just here, now. In this interpreta-
ton OF life as ministry and not as a
prize package. do we find the real
answer to our question, is life worth
living? Charles w. Eliot sums 1t all
up when he says. Nobody has the
right to find life embarrassing or un-
rewarding who sees within the sphere
Of his own activity wrong he can
help to remedy or within himself an
evil he can hope to overcome" John
Haynes Holmes.