What a day this is. The culmination of four– five, or for some of us, even six – years of hard work. A moment that has been long awaited: it’s now our time to stride across this very stage, and take into our hands what has been earned through painstaking all-nighters, seemingly endless exams, and conquering that one course that we thought might keep us from reaching this finish line.

This morning, we are not the same people that first set foot on this campus. Throughout our time as a Spring Arbor community, we have experienced numerous unforgettable memories. It was together that we braved the icy waters of Cedar Bend and visited the furthest horizons of the globe on cross culturals. It was together that we cheered on our athletic teams to national championships and experienced our future vocations through internships. It was together that we attended unique events like Porchfest, wrote, directed, acted in plays, and walked the “P-Loop” with someone special. It was together that we wrestled with and matured in our faith. And it was together that we said goodbye to a dear friend, Kyle Rudolph, in his untimely death. Throughout the course of these years, we have established relationships, forged memories. We have laughed, we have cried, we have triumphed, we have stumbled. We have learned what it means to be independent, all while understanding the importance of relying on others. This May, 2009 morning, we are not the same people.

While it’s fitting to remember these memories that we have had on this campus, we are not here merely to celebrate our achievement, are we? The reason we worked toward a degree throughout these years was not to grab a diploma, but because of what comes next. Before us stretches a future of endless opportunities to impact the world in a bold way. Our time at Spring Arbor University has equipped us to be dynamic contributors– people that are critical participants. A professor recently told me that this critical participation doesn’t mean simply handing out Bible tracks in downtown Jackson. It means actively outliving, out loving, and out serving, and out listening.

As we seek to be critical participants, one question placed before us relates to how we position ourselves in our community. Reflecting on the ultimate servant – the one who died so that we might live – we are also presented with an opportunity to humble our lives for the sake of others. In a society that rewards self-regard, will we choose to be counter-cultural? In 1965, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. said, “We are prone to judge our success by the index of our salaries and the size of our automobile rather than by the quality of our service to mankind.” As we make our new lives, will we be mindful of Dr. King’s eternally convicting words?

As we venture into the future, another challenge before us this morning is whether we will intentionally influence the world through our work. Someone once told me that the world needs not only excellent Christians, but Christians that are willing to be excellent. Personally, I am inspired by the life and work of C. Everett Koop, a passionate Christ-follower and our nation’s thirteenth surgeon general. Appointed to this somewhat unknown position, Koop had the opportunity to maintain the status-quo of an ineffective office. But because of his faith convictions, and seeing the acute medical needs of individuals across the country, Koop developed an agenda to serve the American people. Determined to never undermine integrity for political popularity, he was unbending to the pressures forced upon him in Washington by friends and foes alike. Because of this, by the end of his tenure Koop had his fair share of political critics, but had also made an unarguable, enormous impact on this country. However controversial at the time, as the first surgeon general to effectively enlighten Americans on the dangers of tobacco usage, the first to spearhead national education on HIV/AIDS, and as a fervent defender of the lives and rights of babies born with disabilities, Koop’s service embodies critical participation. His life challenges us to participate, to make an intentional difference in our sphere of influence. His example dares us to never compromise our character. Regardless of our field of study, his legacy poses the question: in a world full of endless distractions, will we be complacent or will we be relevant?

Our time at Spring Arbor has developed and equipped us to be changing agents in a world of need. Now it is time to venture out, tranforming the world through our work and the visible joy and peace of Jesus Christ in our lives. As we part ways, let us meditate on a message articulated in Matthew 5:16, “In the same way, let your light shine before all men, so that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in Heaven.” Thank you, and God bless.