Borden of Yale '09: The Life That Counts

When the death of William Whiting Borden was cabled from Egypt, it seemed as though a wave of sorrow went round the world. There was scarcely a newspaper in the United States that did not publish some account of a life which had combined elements so unusual, and letters from many lands attested the influence of its high ideals and unselfish service. It is probably true, as was stated in the Princeton Seminary Bulletin, that no young man of his age had ever given more to the service of God and humanity; for Borden not only gave his wealth, but himself, in a way so joyous and natural that it was manifestly a privilege rather than a sacrifice.

From Chicago, the city of his birth, came the following testimony:.

“A church friend of mine, working in the office of the Western Union Telegraph Company, was much tried by the scoffings of an unbeliever concerning everything to do with religion. Whatever might be said on the other side was met with argument and denial. My friend, though an intelligent man and an earnest Christian, has little time for

general reading and did not know of your son until x BORDEN OF YALE ’09

an account of his consecrated life appeared in the daily paper. Upon reading it he at once felt that it might mean something to this unbeliever, so he laid the paper on his desk and awaited results. The scoffer read the article through, then coming to my friend said:

‘*** T cannot understand it! There is no accounting for such a life.’

‘** He was completely silenced by the revelation of the power of God in the life your son lived. This is a small incident, Madam, but my friend has been deeply impressed and, with me, rejoices to know that Mr. Borden’s biography is to be published.”

A Richmond journal, reaching a hundred thousand young people in the South, admitted that Borden’s theory of converting his many possessions of talent, vigorous strength and wealth into eternal values might not accord with the popular receipt for making the most of life.

“But”, the editorial continued, “even though he was cut off in his early prime, before actually reaching his distant sphere of labour, it is doubtful whether any life of modern times has flung out to the world a more inspiring example. His investment has borne rich returns already and will continue to yield its peculiar fruit. There are thousands of talented and favoured young men who will, in the light of Borden’s conception of investment values, come to a new view of Christian service. Material possessions and natural endowments will

be appraised not by a standard of self-indulgence or worldly ambition but by their adaptability for building the Kingdom of God. Here was a fearless spirit, not fettered by worldly wisdom in the disposition of his powers and possessions, who looked out and up, beyond all these, and grasped the really great thing of value for which to spend them.”

“It was not the million dollars that came to this young American”, commented another editor, ‘which made his life a victory and his death a world-wide call to young men and women to learn the secret of that victory. It was in things that every man can share that William Borden found the way to the life which is Christ and the death which is gain. And China and ‘the Moslem world shall yet share that gain, as his burning torch is used to kindle in other lives the fires of a like passion for Jesus Christ.”

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