The Miami times. [volume] (Miami, Fla.) 1923-current, 1956-06-16
Is Your Life Worth Living?
BY 5ERTRAM F. COLLIE


mon recently delivered TO a grad
uatlng class by Rev. 8ertram r.
Collie Of Dallas, Texas.
Rev. Collie will be recalled by
MIamians as proprietor Of Your
Neighbor Funeral Home, and al
so for his activity with the Love
and Charity of which he was
national head at one time. Rev.
Collie lives at 1855 Ave. 3. In
Dallas, and Is pastor Of a Baptist
Church In the Texas city.
/ wish to call your attention to
the writing of the Holy Bible in
the book of End Timothy, End
chapter, the 18th verse. We find
the sainted Paul admoniShing his
beloved son Timothy how to live
a life worth while as he tells
him to STUDY to show myself
approved unto God a workman
that needeth not to be aSSham-
ed :"
This is the thought, the mes
sage that / wish to bring you this
morning. Not only do I bring it
tc these young people ON this,
their baccalaureate occasion; but
it is also for the parents and all
adults who have come to worship
with us at this hour. For, you see
my friends this thing that we
call life is real; it is earnest!
Therefore, if life is to be
worth living, one must have
compass to guide that life. He
must know in what direction he is
setting his life's ship to sail. The
only true compass, the only true
guide for such a journey is the
Master of men - our Heavenly
Father. So, study yourself approx
ed unto Him, then you need have
no fear of not having a life
worthwhile.
We are here for baccaluar-
cate, or graduating sermon; and
for that reason I'm sure this class
is wondering why I continue ex-
horting you to study - since you
have graduated or finished. Yes,
agree, you have completed
prescribed course of study; but
you have only finished to now
begin the study of making your
life worth living.
What constitutes worth while
life FROM any individual? There
can be but one answer to that
question - and that is a life of
service - humble, upright, un-
selfish service to your fellow
man.
Abraham Lincoln once said, II
will prepare myself; and some
day my chance will come" Well,
we don't have to wait for that
some day.. 1t is here, now, today
for you and me asd all the other
16 million American Negroes. At
last we have come in our own;
but now we must study to be-
come approved worlnmen unto
God; demonstrating to all peoples
that we are worthy to march side
by side in all walks of livelihood
not only with the other IA mil
lion Americans; but with the en-
tire world.
My young people, do you rea-
lie that you have greater
broader, more glorious opportun-
ity to make of life whatever you
will, than any American Negro
generation that ever existed? Now
as never before the world is your
boundary. You stand on the
threshold ready to enter into the
greatest period of mankind.
Through his ever increasing
knowledge man has made Won
derful progress in the arts and
sciences of learning. He has gone
deep into Gods good earth and
brought forth oil, coal, gas, prec-
lous stones. He has planted grains
and produced food. He has reach
ed into space and acquired cleo
irons; and he is now trying to
reach the high heavens - all of
this is for his existence and his
unbounded pleasure.
You, too, can now enter into
any of these fields of learning and
help make a better world in
which to live; or help destroy the
world that now exists. Bear in
mind that regardless to how fast
we progress, in taking part in the
worlds development, in the long
run, it will profit you nothing UNI