Jackson advocate., 1953-02-07

anybody else. We certainly do more
preaching, praying, moaning and
groaning than any other people,
yet, the average Negro Christian
has less faith than anybody. | can
not believe that the great God of
the universe cares any more for a
soul wrapped up in a white skin
than he does for soul wrapped up
in a black skin. know as a stu
dent of medical science that in the
anatomical structure and the ply
siOlOgical function of this body
which God has given the human
race, made after his own image,
the only basic differences is in the
pigmenting of the skin and the
texture of the hair. The Negro
Christian as heaven bound Pill
grim must realize that he can't
live in Mississippi and board in
Heaven, therefore, the Negro
preacher who is the greatest lead
er among us, must talk to US more
about a balanced diet which in
cludes T-bone steaks, while we are
waiting for the incompatible diet
of milk and honey, he must talk to
us more about the fabrics of cot
ton, wool, nylon, rayon, velvet, furs
and leather while we are preparing
for our golden slippers which are
going to be mighty uncomfortable
and the long white robes. He must
talk to us more about ways and
means of acquiring good, roomy
comfortable homes of our own
right here in Mississippi while we
are getting ready for the mansions
in the sky. If the Negro is to sur
vive in this industrial age, thrift,
industry and business efficiency
must become an intrical part of
the Negro's religion.
The fourth and final thing that
we must have to attain the Dig
nifty of Equality" is the religion
of Jesus the Christ. | fear that
too many Negroes today are try
ing to find some other way to this
goal than through the Christ, who
said Il am the way, the truth and
the light" Thousands of our young
people leave Christian homes today
where they are taught to pray and
the value of a Christian life. At
College in their desire to be popu-
lar and get a thrill out of day to
day living, they forget to pray and
they forget the Christ.
We are living in a thrill crazed,
jazz-be-bop age, when our youth
are willing to do anything or to
try anything to experience tn e
psychological reaction of thrill.
| want to say to the young peo-
pie before me here today that the
greatest thrill that comes to one
in this life is to know Jesus the
Christ as personal Saviour.
Jesus said II came that you
might have life and life more a
bundantly." The whole world today
is interested in the more abundant
life. But you ask of me, 'Dr. How
ard what is life" Life as we know
it is a one way journey through a
tunnel joining two eternities and
the wayfarer gets only uncertain
glimpses of either. Life's beginning
is cloaked in mystery and it's end
ing opens into controversy. Philo-
sophers and Theologians have We'd
in vain with each other to rescue
it from the regions of the unknow-
ables. Whence? and Whittier? have
been paramount questions in the
speculation of mankind.
This is indeed grave hour in
the history of civilization and final
ly, Ladies and Gentlemen, our
great big task is to join hands with
our white brother and every other
race that dwells on the face of the
earth and fashion for the good of
mankind new heaven and new
earth. Today, we see all about us
world of strife and hate, world
of mistrust and dissatisfaction, a
world of sorrow and grief, world
Of war and devastation. | know not
when this conflict will end, but this
! know that God is our Father and
that all men, regardless of the
color of their skin are brothers, and
that men of Goodwill and Faith
will one day enter into Thomas
Moore's Utopia, "The Ancient Seer
of Israel's City of Refuge" and
Socrates, "City of our God"