A Commencement Address with Purpose

Suppose you were invited to give the commencement address before a ninth grade class, what would you share with these young people?  They have completed middle school and now before them await three years of high school and then college and university.  Perhaps many of these young people have not yet decided upon a course of study or even what direction they want for their lives.  They are just happy to have survived early adolescence without major damage.  How would you challenge them?  What words of advice would you share with them? 


This past Sunday on the back page of the Opinion Section of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune, portions of an address that Chief Justice John Roberts delivered at his son's ninth-grade commencement program was printed.  Chief Justice Roberts offered some wise advice to that class, words that should be shared with every young person today.  Allow me to just quote a few paragraphs from that speech.


"Now around the country today at colleges, high schools, middle schools, commencement speakers are standing before impatient graduates.  And they are almost always saying the same things.  They will say that today is a commencement exercise.  'It is a beginning, not an end.  You should look forward.'  And I think that is true enough.


"However, I think if you're going to look forward to figure out where you're going, it's good to know where you've been, and to look back as well.  And I think if you look back to your first afternoon here at Carigan, perhaps you will recall that you were lonely.  Perhaps you will recall that you were a little scared, a little anxious.  And now look at you.  You are surrounded by friends that you call brothers, and you are confident in facing the next step in your education.


"It is worthy trying to think why that is so.  And when you do, I think you may appreciate that it was because of the support of your classmates in the classroom, on the athletic field and in the dorms.  And as far as the confidence goes, I think you will appreciate that it is not because you succeeded at everything you did, but because with the help of your friends, you were not afraid to fail.


"Now, the commencement speakers will typically also wish you good luck and extend good wishes to you.  I will not do that, and I'll tell you why."


Friends, the next part of Chief Justice Roberts speech is actually very alarming, yet also very profound.  Listen to this sage advice:


"From time to time in the years to come, I hope you will be treated unfairly - so that you will come to know the value of justice.  I hope that you will suffer betrayal - because that will teach you the importance of loyalty.  Sorry to say, but I hope you will be lonely from time to time - so that you don't take friends for granted.  I wish you bad luck, again, from time to time - so that you will be conscious of the role of chance in life, and understand that your success is not completely deserved, and that the failure of others is not completely deserved either.  And when you lose, as you will from time to time, I hope every now and then your opponent will gloat over your failure.  It is a way for you to understand the importance of sportsmanship.  I hope you'll be ignored - so you'll know the importance of listening to others.  And I hope you will have just enough pain to learn compassion.  Whether I wish these things or not, they're going to happen.  Whether you benefit from them or not will depend upon your ability to see the message in your misfortune."


Chief Justice Roberts is a realist, not an idealist.  In many commencement addresses this spring, the speakers stated that the goal of life was to succeed, to live the good life.  Did you hear what Chief Justice Roberts said to those boys: I hope you experience some of the hardships of life, because it is how you face those difficulties that you grow to become the person you were intended to be. 


As I read this speech - and I applaud the Start-Tribune for printing it - I was reminded of many of the words Jesus shared with His disciples.  Jesus certainly never told them that success would come easily.  In fact Jesus shared just the opposite: life would become more difficult.  Listen to these words of Jesus:
     "Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me.  Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you" (Matthew 5:11-12).
     "If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first.  If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own.  As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world.  That is why the world hates you" (John 15:18-19).
     "I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace.  In this world you will have trouble.  But take heart!  I have overcome the world" (John 16:33).


Friends, it is through difficulties that we grow.  The butterfly struggles to be released from the cocoon, but it is that struggle that strengthens its wings so it can fly.  A shoot struggles to break through the soil, but it is that struggle that strengthens that developing root.  Chief Justice Roberts told those boys and their families he wished life would become difficult at times for them so that they would grow stronger.  Jesus wishes for us difficulties so that we become stronger in our relationship with Him.  I am reminded of those familiar words from the Apostle Paul as he wrote to the believers living in Rome: "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose" (Romans 8:28).  What a great promise to always keep before us.