Commencement Address 2005

Below is my address last Satureday to the 2005 high school graduates who are members of Second RP. A number of people requested copies of it. At various points, I know my spoken words were different from what was on paper - what exactly those differences are I am not sure because I have not compared the two, but the substance is the same.

Commencement Address 2005 --

Congratulations, graduates, on the completion of your hard work leading up to this significant milestone. It is a time to look back with gratefulness, but also a time to look forward. Now you commence upon a new phase of life. The puritans saw four stages of life, each about 20 years long for a person with an average life span. The first was a time of preparation, the second a time of production, the third a time of provision – making provision for those who would follow, and the fourth a time of protection – using all of the accumulated wisdom to protect those who follow in life. And now in a very real sense you are transitioning from the stage of preparation to the stage of production. Certainly, there may be more education coming, but from here on it will in all likelihood be direction tied to the field in which you will spend your years of focusing on productivity and provision. It’s a huge transition you are making. You are no longer children, but adults with new roles, privileges and responsibilities.

There are a lot of different ideas of what principles should guide you into this new stage of life. Some encourage you to find your meaning in life by reaching out to touch the life of another amid your pursuits. Others tell you that you are here to dream, and to achieve those dreams – and they tell you that you can be whatever you want to be if you just set your mind to it and work hard enough. Others are more cynical, or perhaps more realistic. One group of graduates last year heard these words: "The best advice I can give anybody about going out into the world is this: Don't do it. I have been out there. It's a mess." Those words were from Russell Baker, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and humorist.

Solomon, the wisest man who ever lived asked the same question…why am I here – what is my purpose, how can I find meaning in life? And he tried to find the answer in many different places. First, he tried education…thinking that if only he learned enough then he would make the world a better place and find real fulfillment – real meaning in life. And that is what most of the universities will tell you – you can make a difference by becoming more knowledgeable – finding the cure to a disease or some other discovery to make life more comfortable – or perhaps your further education will lead you to be an educator and you can make a difference by educating others out of their problems, woes and insecurities. But after gaining as much knowledge as he could, Solomon, said this: “And I applied my heart to know wisdom and to know madness and folly. I perceived that this also is but a striving after wind” (Ecclesiastes 1:17).

So, he figured if knowledge and learning doesn’t provide satisfaction, perhaps pleasure will. After amazing accomplishments in only two years at Jerusalem University, he committed to become party-animal number one on campus. And he lived it up with all the sensual pleasures the world has to offer. But that didn’t satisfy. As he progressed through life he tried to find meaning in his work – by climbing the ladder as it were. He spent hours in the office as a workaholic seeking fulfillment. But what was Solomon’s conclusion? “Then I considered all that my hands had done and the toil I had expended in doing it, and behold, all was vanity and a striving after wind, and there was nothing to be gained under the sun” (Ecclesiastes 2:11).

Still seeking meaning, Solomon then tried living a balanced, holistic life – not too much joy, not too much sadness, not too much pleasure, not too much pain. He tried feasting from the finest foods – gourmet masterpieces. He tried socialist philosophies, and he tried the religions of the world…if only we could somehow find a little peace and love to spread around…but that was vanity too. But in all of these things Solomon saw that there was nothing but trouble. People could not and would not be happy, fulfilled and get along because of the condition of man’s heart. It is all nothing but trouble under the sun striving after the wind.

Through it all Solomon saw that none of these things could satisfy. Try as he might he could not find that happiness and fulfillment he so longed for. Money and possessions do not bring security, success does not bring satisfaction, and people never bring guarantees. In the course of all of these pursuits Solomon came to this one conclusion regarding all these things: “What has been is what will be, and what has been done is what will be done, and there is nothing new under the sun. And it’s all vanity of vanities! All is vanity!” (Ecclesiastes 1:9).

Russell Baker was right – it really is a mess out there! Are you sure you want your diplomas?! Graduates, he’s right – you really can’t be whatever you want to be, you can try everything Solomon tried and you will find that your life is meaningless. If you remember nothing else from this address, remember this, that your lives are meaningless!..…..under the sun.

But you know that wasn’t Solomon’s final conclusion – after he had evaluated everything about life, he saw that it was far too shortsighted a thing to only see the things happening “under the sun”. Left to themselves, the things under the sun are vanity. Life and history just go around in circles. But we know that there is a God higher than the sun – a God who has created that sun and this world and continues to rule over it. And he has redeemed you from sin through Jesus Christ whom he has caused you to know personally. Graduates, you must look beyond the sun, and live life not under the sun – seeking meaning in the places the world seeks it – you must life your life here on this earth before God…under heaven.

As Solomon neared his conclusion he wrote: “Remember also your Creator in the days of your youth, before the evil days come and the years draw near of which you will say, "I have no pleasure in them" (Ecclesiastes 12:1). You see, you will despair if you do not know your Creator. That exhortation led Solomon to his final conclusion: “The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. 14 For God will bring every deed into judgment, with every secret thing, whether good or evil” (Ecclesiastes 12:13-14).

Fear God and keep his commandments! This is your whole duty. Sound trite? Easy? Narrow in scope? Merely religious? Not exactly! Notice that every single deed will be brought into judgment. Every single thing you do, or fail to do will be judged – isn’t that great? Do you see the implications?! The God who made you and has radically changed you cares, he cares about everything you do – it all has meaning! His commands touch every area of life, and it is your call to keep them.

In the big picture, that means that history does have a purpose. Under the sun, history goes around in circles and we’re only here to complete the pagan notion of the circle of life. But what nonsense! Under heaven, history had a beginning and it does have an end. Don’t let anyone ever tell you that history just repeats itself. You are not doing the same thing your parents did twenty-five years ago at this time. We are on the path of history to glory, and we are twenty-five years closer to the end than when you graduated. Now, you are stepping onto the stage of history to be part of the unfolding plot of God’s story – what a privilege. Lodge this truth between your ears because there will be times ahead where you wonder what you are doing – or supposed to be doing on earth…what is my purpose in life? You must then remember that your purpose, in Jesus Christ, is to bring about his purposes wherever he has put you, even if you can’t figure it out the scope of that purpose at that particular time.

And now, graduates, after these years of preparation, it is your calling not to shrink back to the shadows, but to step out from behind the curtains and onto the stage of history. The older characters on the stage need you. So pursue education, knowledge, wisdom is all areas – rise to the top of your fields. Think of the apostle Paul, he ministered everywhere and did not despise the day of small things, but to which city did he want to go? To Rome – the capital of the world – the seat of human influence. He wanted to see the influence of Christ in the highest places – and so should you. Don’t withdraw from you calling in the name of holiness. What else? Go have fun in life – there is a meaningful time to party for the Christian, and today is one of them. Be that gourmet connoisseur with joy; enjoy creation in its many facets – all under heaven. Have families, get involved in government – seek to serve God there. You see, those things that were formerly vain to Solomon now become real and significant for those who have been touched by Jesus Christ. Rightly understood, the world is indeed yours to discover, to explore and to subdue. As you do, God will use you here to press history forward to its grand conclusion in the consummation. Graduates, your purpose is to fear God, keep His commandments, and in so doing to influence the whole world!

And if the conclusion of history hasn’t yet come before your time comes, then in that final stage in the puritan scheme of life where you serve as a protector, you will be able to freely hand off this assignment to your children and grandchildren to fear God and keep his commandments until he comes.

That’s the big picture. I was unsure how to fit a few small practical suggestions in naturally. So, in closing, here are:

THE TOP TEN TIDBITS FOR GRADUATES

10. Keep reading. My personal suggestion is to read the front page and the editorial page of the Wall Street Journal every day. Keep reading even if you do not understand it all.

9. Keep a journal. God will do much in and through you, and if you do not record those events you will forget them.

8. Always say “thank you”. Remember from whence you came, because you did not get to this point by yourself.

7. Be confident. You will fool an amazing number of people - most of all yourself.

6. Ask lots of questions. Never stop learning.

5. Remember that every job is a self-portrait of the person who did it. The quality of your work reflects who you are.

4. Never say, “I forgot”. Remember your commitments and keep them.

3. Dress for success. Strive not to look like you just stepped out of a dumpster as is so much the rage. People can often tell if a young person has purpose in life by the way they are dressed.

2. Call your mother.

1. Finally, number one, I pass on to you some words of wisdom I received at my own graduation ten years ago that have been very meaningful to me...as you go out from here remember two words that will open many doors for you.....push and pull. God bless the Class of 2005!