The Feelings of Graduation
/
Today I had the privilege of watching the MacGregor Collegiate Institutes Grade 12 Graduation Ceremony, with a number of others by live stream at the church (socially distanced of course). In order to ensure safety, this year the number of people who could attend the graduation in person was kept to a minimum with most of us proud friends and family joining online to cheer our graduates on.
What struck me, while watching a number of young men and women who I have had the privilege of pastoring over the past few years walk across the stage, was that while without a doubt in my gut I felt pride with them for their accomplishments, there nevertheless were also other feelings swirling in me as well, feelings, such as pensiveness, sadness and to an extent even concern, that you may not think belong at a graduation ceremony.
However the more I think about it, the more I am convinced that these other feelings make perfect sense to feel today, and in my post I explore why, as well as comfort the Bible brings to these feelings during this time.
Graduation Ceremonies are interesting moments of life. I have been a graduate four times so far (in my middle school, grade 7 graduation ceremonies marking our passage to becoming High Schoolers were a strangely big deal), and so I say with some authority on the matter that mixed up in the ceremony are feelings of pride in accomplishment, sadness, gladness, questioning and a host of other emotions that are just as contradictory to one another as they are sensible given the moment of life that is invoking them.
Grad ceremonies inflict these feelings in us because to be able to participate in the ceremony requires often years of work and dedication, so feelings of pride and gladness, even from the worst of students (hello from my college-aged self) are fully warranted. However, Grad ceremonies also invoke these other, less positive feelings because to be able to participate in the ceremony also means that the life the student has grown in and has come to, over the past few years, master, is coming to an end with an often unknown future ahead, so feelings of sadness and questioning at what has passed, as well as what is yet to come are also fully appropriate.
At a graduation ceremony, with all the pomp and circumstance that is on full display, just as much as we are celebrating academic achievement, we are also coming together, all the students we are celebrating, the staff and faculty presenting the awards and certifications, and the families and friends in the audience as well, in recognition of the fact that now, for all of us, things are different. For some of us, this difference is more pronounced than it is for others, but for all of us, uncertainty is left hanging thick in the air.
The Bible has an interesting approach to dealing with these feelings. Essentially, what it has to say is that while, yes, things do come to an end, and the future is never certain in what it holds for us, there is one thing that is always without a doubt true; that no matter what the future may bring, God will still be there. And this makes sense. If God is all-powerful, all-knowing, and without end, then, of course, he will be there in whatever the future may hold. God wouldn’t be much of a god if this wasn’t true.
And while this may sound too obvious to be of any comfort, I would encourage you to think about it a little more. For what all else does God promise he will do in the Bible? Often in scripture, God promises us that he will love us. Often in scripture, God promises us that he will care for us. And often in scripture, God promises us that he will remain with us throughout whatever is yet to come.
And so, Grads of 2020, as well as to all your family, friends, teachers, and everyone else going through this tempest of emotion that accompanies a graduation ceremony, I give you the following truth from the Bible to comfort you today. Take all these promises together, along with the fact that in the future we know God will be there, and what you are left with is simply the following truth: that while the future may be uncertain, all a big whirling fog, there is nevertheless one thing you can know beyond a shadow of a doubt about what is to come that hopefully will put your minds at ease. That no matter what the future may bring, an all-powerful, all-knowing, eternal being who promises to love you, and care for you will be there with you every step of the way, ready to look out for your well being.
Congratulations Grads of 2020. I can’t wait to see where all you will go.
Here is a hearty congratulations to the MCI grads from the attendees of the MacGregor EMC showing of the grad service live stream. While you can’t hear it over my giggling and terribly camerawork (sorry about that), we want to say congratulations to the MacGregor EMC 2020 MCI Graduates: Teri-lyn Dyck, Conner Giesbrecht, Rachel Sawatzky, and Michael Thiessen.
We love each of you, and are so very proud!
