Several years ago, I attended a high school graduation ceremony, and heard the principal leave the grads with a strong and pointed message. “Life is hard, so you need to do whatever is necessary to survive and make it in today’s world,” he said. “Things are changing more quickly than ever before, so the competition for good jobs is fierce, opportunities are scarce, and it’s easy to fall by the wayside. So you’ll need to be smart, focused, strategic and diligent to survive in these challenging and difficult times.”

To be sure, that message contained some important truths. But I did find it to be pretty depressing. In particular, I was struck by what wasn’t mentioned. There was no talk of nurturing one’s hopes and dreams for the future and striving to find ways to follow them. There was no encouragement to explore options, take risks, and expand one’s horizons. Nor was there any mention of engaging in activities that bring joy, purpose
and meaning to our days. Those omissions left me feeling that something significant was missing. Important as it is to be smart, focused and strategic, a meaningful and happy life usually has more to it than that.

The Apostle Paul certainly took lots of risks and followed his dreams. This coming Sunday, we’ll look at how he accepted a particular challenge that came his way, and how he adapted to a new milieu. It’s a fascinating story that has implications for all of us – regardless of our age or stage of life. I look forward to seeing you this coming Sunday morning at 10:30 – as we celebrate the graduation of three special people.