Yesterday, I had the honor of being the faculty speaker at Butler University's baccalaureate ceremony. As that honor was bestowed by the graduating seniors themselves, it was even more special. It was even more special for me because several former students were also part of the ceremony, and it was simply wonderful to stand before them and see so many familiar faces out in the audience.
For those of you who aren't sure what a baccalaureate is, I'll allow the Butler University Center for Faith and Vocation describe it for you:
"Marking the end of the undergraduate years in ritual, readings and blessings, this event marks the turning point of students and their families as a sacred time. In keeping with the University's commitment to religious pluralism, baccalaureate reflects the diversity of religious and spiritual commitments of Butler students. Steeped in the history of higher education,baccalaureate services come from the medieval European tradition of presenting candidates for the degree of bachelor (bacca) with laurels (lauri) in sermon oration. Today, Butler University is part of a widening community of U.S. colleges and universities holding religiously diverse baccalaureate services, striving to honor the distinct and varied faith traditions reflected on campus."
As the Class of 2014 had selected the slogan "Wisdom for the Journey," I tried to weave a bit of wisdom into my remarks, but also to talk a little about joy -- which as one member of the audience told me afterwords, is something we need to talk more about (distinct from happiness and other "fun" emotions). Below is some of what I said -- or at least what was written down:
In all seriousness, there are, I think, two things I
want to talk to you about in the time I do have. The first is prompted by your choice in theme
for today’s event, “Wisdom for the Journey.”
As you no doubt know, since you all, I am guessing, have at least one
item of Butler clothing with the date stamped on it, the university you are
about to graduate from first opened its doors in 1855. What you may not know, was that Ovid Butler
wrote the charter for this institution of higher education in 1850, and, by the
end of the decade the school had selected as its motto a Latin phrase, which
loosely translated into Hoosier is rendered as “dare to begin to be wise.” As you start on your journey beyond the
Butler Bubble then, take heart that you have indeed dared to begin to be wise already.
That wisdom, as conceived by those who founded your
alma mater, was a wisdom steeped in faith.
And indeed, such a proclamation was right there in the name of the
school itself. The charter granted by
the State of Indiana was to North Western Christian University, and in 1850
each of those four words held a special meaning, much of which we can look back
on some 150 plus years later, and see in them the coming war clouds that nearly
destroyed the United States. Today, it
is enough for us to remember that founding, and recall that you are graduating
with a long history of embracing both faith and reason, and seeing them as compatible
parts that make students—that make people-- whole.
And I could continue on that theme. Indeed, I was prepared to do so. But then it struck me. You don’t want another lecture from a
professor. You’ve had enough of those
over at least the last 4 years here at Butler!
What you need is a bit more wisdom as you start the next steps on your
journey. And the message I wish to
convey to you today is the importance of making that journey a joyful one, and
the role faith can play in making it so.
There is much in the world beyond Butler that can be
upsetting. That may even make you angry
and upset. Not everything will go your
way, and day to day, there will be many frustrations and irritations, and
indeed, even injustice to confront. But
my advice to you is to not let those things consume you. To lose a sense of joy in life is to lose out
on much that gives it meaning. When
those dark times threaten, may you have faith as a shield to protect you. And may your faith sustain you and remind you
of all that is good, and right, and of your own God-given abilities which can
help you deal with, and perhaps even, overcome the obstacles life throws at
you.
Faith does not promise us that everything will
always be fine, either for us or for those we know and love. Faith carries with it, of course, a good deal
of reverence, of somber attitudes, and of quiet contemplation. And that is as it should be. But faith, I think, ultimately, should be a
source of joy. And a joyful attitude, a
joyful heart, is a source – perhaps the source – of all that is good in this
world. Faith is the balance, not just to
reason when it comes to education, but to living a life that has a deeper
meaning than just the bottom line. A
faith filled life, in short, is a joyful life.
And such a life is a complete life, one that helps us appreciate what we
have been given in good times and in bad, and strive to leave the world a
better place than we found it.
My hope, my prayer, for you is that you find it and
never let it go, in good times and in bad.
That you cultivate faith and that you spread joy wherever you go. That you live a life, in other words, full of
meaning and purpose. And, that as you
journey, you continue to seek to be wise.
As these former students of mine graduate today, as students elsewhere across the nation do as well in the days and weeks to come, I could think of no better prayer for them (and for us) that that we seek wisdom and live a life of joy, all the while being guided by faith.
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