Roblog

On May 25, for the second year in a row, I was privileged to share the rostrum with Rev. Uri Brito, each of us delivering a “tag” commencement homily for the graduating class.  Our text this year was Hebrews 12; my portion covered the first 17 verses but I primarily focused on the first two.  My title was “Run!”

Graduates, tonight we rightly congratulate and honor you for your successful achievement.  Twelve-plus years of cultivating hard and diligent work have borne fruit—and because the hardworking farmer has the right to enjoy the fruit of his labor, I earnestly hope that tonight and in the coming days and weeks you will feast with satisfaction and gratitude upon this harvest.

But it’s not over.  Not by a long shot.  In fact, in some ways it is really just beginning.  By “it” I don’t mean college, per se—and you are going to probably think this sounds sentimental and clichéic—but what I mean to say is really just beginning for you is the race of life.

Now, I hate sentimentality more than anyone—but I hate it most in sermons and things like commencement homilies.  « Read the rest of this entry »