EDITORIAL: Pomp, circumstance & what’s next

Congratulations, graduate. At some point plus or minus about three weeks, you have passed or will pass an academic milestone that involves walking across a stage, accepting a diploma from a distinguished-looking person a lot older than you, listening to the raucous woo-hoos of your family and friends, and moving a tassle from one side of the world’s goofiest-looking hat to the other.

I’ll spare you the usual graduation fodder: “Commencement” isn’t the end of your academic career; it’s the beginning of the next phase of your life. Much has been invested in you to bring you to this moment; now is the time to give back. “No man is an island.” All well and good. Believe it.

In the spirit of commencement speeches left unspoken, please permit a few words to the wise. You can—and will, and should—expand on this list for decades to come. Here goes:

• Get a life. That’s the advice novelist Anna Quinlan offered to Villanova University graduates a few years back. “Get a life. A real life, not a manic pursuit of the next promotion, the bigger paycheck, the larger house. … Get a life in which you are not alone. Find people you love and who love you. And remember that love is not leisure; it is work. … Pick up the phone. Send an e-mail. Write a letter. Kiss your mom. Hug your dad.”

• When faced with the choice between clicking on the TV or picking up a book, grab the book. Not all the time, of course. You don’t have to be a zealot. But read, for goodness’ sake. Keep learning. Digital or dead tree, just read.

• And a corollary—work a crossword puzzle, take on Sudoku, calculate your car’s miles per gallon in your head or play a musical instrument. Whatever it is, force yourself to think logically and analytically and sequentially. Keep the wiring in your noggin tight. Don’t let your brain atrophy.

• Eat bran cereal. And ice cream. Get plenty of exercise. And lay in the hammock. You’ve got to take care of that body of yours. Right now, your motivation is to look good in size-# jeans. Later in life, it will be to walk without huffing. But if you don’t take care of it now, you’ll get so far (and big) behind, you’ll never catch up. Remember, health isn’t about looking good. It’s about keeping that one body you’ve been given in working order so you can enjoy that one life you’re living and glorify the one God who gives you life.

• Laugh. Cry, too. Mirth and tears are like emotional drain cleaner. They help you flush out the pipes before they clog, back up and soil everything.

• When you work, work hard. The quickest way to get people to disrespect you is to fail to carry your own weight. Be the go-to guy, the get-it-done gal. Whatever your job, it’s a gift from God. Treat work as worship—a way of praising God for the ability and the opportunity to be productive.

• When you play, play easy. Just relax. Don’t expect too much from a day off, a vacation, a night on the town. When you expect too much, play becomes work.

• Be generous. I’ve never missed the money, time and effort I’ve given to others. But I’ve been ashamed of being stingy.

• Live outwardly. Think more about how your life impacts others, not how theirs impacts yours. Don’t worry about getting credit. Try to ignore insults.

• Settle for the next-to-last word. I’ve regretted many more arguments I’ve won than arguments I’ve lost. Sure, that sounds ridiculous; it’ll make sense later. Especially if you’re ever married.

• Be fearless. Not foolish, but fearless. There’s a difference. The foolish take unnecessary risks. The fearless realize all of life is risky, and they refuse to sit on the shore just to play it safe. They steep their lives in Scripture, prayer and the counsel of godly friends. They realize whatever happens, God is with them, working to redeem all situations.

• Live in relationship. With God. With others. A wise teacher once said, “Faith is relationship.” Salvation isn’t so much about making heaven and missing hell as it’s about forming your life in love with God. That love is big enough and broad enough to flow from you to everyone you know.

–Marv Knox is editor of the Baptist Standard. Visit his blog at www.baptiststandard.com .