总统托马斯。 Addresses the 研究生s of 格林路德高中

As I begin this Address to the graduates, I want to pause for a moment 和 say, “congratulations.我知道今天你们会经常听到这句话.  但在这么多年里，你需要记住这个词.  这是非常艰难的15个月.  我们都忍受了很多, 但你, 即将毕业的大四学生, 尤其承受着沉重的负担.  当然，也有损失.  我们可以一一列举，但确实有 也 been opportunities to reset 和 to think about what truly matters.  今天的毕业演讲将是关于什么是重要的.

当你离开时 格林路德高中 今天，作为毕业生，世界在你们面前敞开.  这听起来很老套，但却是事实.  这并不意味着事情会变得容易，远非如此.  今年提醒了我们这一事实!  Many paths will open; others will close.  You will choose between many doors on this journey… 和 as you chose one, 其他人会消失在你的过去.  这可能让人麻痹，也可能让人兴奋.  今天, I hope to offer you a little advice as you embark on this amazing journey of life after high school.  几个月后你是否要去上大学, 下周开始新的职业生涯, 离开军队为国效力, or taking a gap year … this advice doesn’t have an expiration date.  

恭喜你，这么多年来，你应该记住这个词.

《菲律宾十大网赌网站》专栏作家大卫·布鲁克斯在他的书《 品格之路强调我们路德教会所说的天职或“呼召”.” 

He notes that in our culture we fixate on building our résumé virtues.  你的GPA是多少??  你最喜欢的学科是什么?  你在哪里上学?  你进大学了吗?  And questions that you now are getting:  What college are you going to?  你获得了多少奖学金?  你降落在什么位置?  你选择了哪个军种?  在这间隔年你会做些什么?  

Later in life these questions will include: What do you do for a living?   你在哪里工作??  你住在哪个社区?  And if 一些one is rude, they might ask: How big is 你的 bank account?  

Some of 你的 résumé virtues are now, 和 will continue to be, 真的 important.  他们就是这样.  如果你在生活中有适当的平衡, 你的 résumé virtues will be built on 你的 God-given talents 和 skills.  的确，一个人一生的使命是 它是 表达为一种职业——无论是学生, 会计, 老师, 科学家, 官, 商人, 主要, 或教授——是上帝的恩赐, 我们应该庆祝上帝赐予我们的礼物.  In many ways, this morning’s ceremony is focused on celebrating résumé virtues.  当然，你们每个人都赢得了这些荣誉!  我们要庆祝你们所取得的一切成就! 

但你很清楚, 你的老师, 教练, 和 staff members at Crean have striven to educate you holistically, 作为一个完整的人:形成你的思想, body, 心, 和灵魂.  Certainly, they have educated you academically, by forming 你的 minds.  通过大学运动和课外活动, 比如合唱团, 音乐, 剧院, 跳舞吧，你们的身体也已经成形了.  

然而，克林是一所路德教会高中.  Here you have been introduced to the Triune God: Father, Son, 和 Holy Spirit.  You have been confronted by the reality of our sinful nature that seeks always to put ourselves at the center of everything.  And you have heard the proclamation of God’s free gift of forgiveness that sets us right with God 和 with each of our neighbors.  

你们的心和灵魂已经成形.  Your 心s, as you’ve been encouraged 和 empowered to love 你的 neighbor as 你的self.  And 你的 souls, as you’ve been challenged to contemplate a life of devotion 和 love for God.   

所以你看，你的Crean教育一直 so 不仅仅是建立你的人格美德.  老师们一直在努力向你们灌输更深层次的感激之情 和 意识到大卫·布鲁克斯所说的“悼词”美德. 

今天，我们庆祝一长串学术成就. And in the next decades, you will build impressive lists of résumé virtues.  But I challenge you to keep this question at the forefront of 你的 mind: 在你生命的尽头，什么会 你的 悼词的美德是?

我们如何服务他人?  我们是如何减轻身边的痛苦的?  我们是如何给世界带来希望的?  我们怎么爱过不可爱的人?  这些 悼词是美德吗?.  为什么它们被称为颂词美德?  这些都是人们会谈论的事情 我们每个人 我们的葬礼上. 

人格美德当然很重要.  Yet, a deep, meaningful, 和 fulfilling life is ultimately found in our eulogy virtues.  你已经直觉地知道它们更重要!

I bet if I would have sent each of you a questionnaire asking you to provide five 突出了 from 你的 time at Crean, you might have listed maybe one résumé virtue.  Perhaps, 你的 GPA, 你的 favorite class, 你的 just-announced scholarship package.  But I surmise that you likely would have spoken about 朋友ships made 你的 freshman year, 由一位敬爱的教员指导, 与员工或教练的关系, 你的性格, 值, 道德也得到了更精确的磨练, or perhaps you might have even listed spiritual encounters with our Lord

大卫·布鲁克斯提供的启发式方法, 是什么区分了赞扬美德和悼词美德, 在你考虑你的未来时，记住这一点很有帮助吗.  今天，我们要庆祝一长串的学术 成就 that you have collectively accomplished as Crean Lutheran Saints.  And in the next decades, you will build impressive lists of résumé virtues.  But I challenge you to keep this question at the forefront of 你的 mind:  

在你生命的尽头，什么会 你的 悼词的美德是?

通过你在这里的成长时光, the faculty 和 staff have challenged you to think deeply about 你的 various divine callings.  Certainly 你的 occupation will be one of those callings in life.  但你将有许多其他的职业或召唤:孩子, 女儿, 朋友, 也许某天你的配偶, 家长等.  

那么，这一切的实际教训是什么呢?  归根结底，它是关于在生活中找到平衡.  It’s about discovering that sweet-spot where 你的 God-given talents match 你的 career path so that each day just seems to be in a groove.  And allowing God to work through you to carry out His will in this world.  

这也是关于辨别什么是 真的 重要的生活.  A few minutes ago, I mentioned that you will have many vocations in life.  复数形式的“职业”很重要.  你是父母的儿子或女儿, 朋友之于朋友, 一个同学到你的同学, 也许是员工写给老板的等.  在以后的生活中，你可能会成为配偶、父母等等.

What is 真的 important—非常实用—is what Lutheran theology teaches about balancing out various vocations.

Consider the following:  I am the President of 欧文康考迪亚大学.  这是我目前的使命之一.  这是我的职业，也是我深爱的职业!-是的 只有一个 我的使命.  我也是学生的教授, 我教会的成员, 我父母的儿子, 我兄弟姐妹的兄弟, 孩子们的父亲, 也是我妻子的丈夫.  

但真正重要的是非常实用—is what Lutheran theology teaches me about a balanced life—about balancing out my various vocations.  虽然我有很多职业， 一些 可以由别人来做吗.  很多人都可以担任协和女神的主席.  许多人可以担任神学和古典文学教授等.等. 但只有我能成为孩子们的父亲.  只有我能成为我妻子的丈夫.  

但世界不是这么想的.  这个世界推崇令人振奋的美德.  But this way of thinking is practical in terms of providing a work-life balance… 和 它是 Biblical!  And 它是 a divine gift from our Lord… for it authorizes me to prioritize what Brooks calls my “eulogy” virtues.

在格林路德高中成立, I have no doubt that you will strive to live a self-examined life, 正如苏格拉底所敦促的.  And a sacrificial life, as the Lord Jesus Christ himself modeled, for he came “不上菜却要服事人，舍命作多人的赎价.这些都是悼词的美德!

我们知道, you are the ones who will carry the mission of 格林路德高中 into the world.  我们知道 that the Lord will use you…each of you… to serve as his h和s 和 feet to bring hope to a world that is 迫切需要!  Please however take this fact with you as you leave campus this day:  Crean Lutheran is a better place because you were here!  

While each 和 every person gathered here today is exceedingly proud of all you have accomplished, 我们更为你们感到骄傲，因为你们已经成为这样的人!

我代表全体教员, 教练, 还有克林的员工，你的家人和朋友, 我想说的是，我们为你感到骄傲.  Proud of you for all that you have accomplished; 我们是 here to celebrate all of those 成就!  在你们今天离开校园之前, let me challenge you to thank those special mentors who have poured themselves into you!

2021届毕业生, allow me to close this Address by letting you in on a little secret… listen carefully to this: While each 和 every person gathered here today is exceedingly proud of all you have accomplished, 我们是 更多的 为你们的成就感到骄傲!  

愿上帝保佑你们每一个人!