We are about to enter the season of school graduations for this year. I always enjoy this season. As usual, there are a few controversies regarding commencement speakers. The choice of President Obama as speaker stirred up a couple of bee’s nests. Usually the cause of these dust ups has something to do with religion or politics. Well, folk have a right to feel strongly about their religion and their politics. I won’t deny that. I once spoke at a high school ceremony as a substitute for the minister who had been invited by the school principal. That minister had made some public statements that so outraged the senior class, they threatened to boycott the event if he were to be the speaker. So the principal then asked me if I would do it. I was happy to oblige.

     I’m not speaking at any such events this year, but I’ve been thinking about what I’d say if I were. Naturally, a major part of a commencement speech is to challenge the graduates in their pursuit of a great life. Since I am an enthusiast for such a theme and have had such a great life myself, I’d jump right into that topic. I’d tell them to cultivate their imaginations. I’d tell them something Michelangelo once said to explain his sculpturing approach: “I saw an angel in the marble and I carved until I set him free.” How would the world be different if more of us could imagine the angels in the stones?

     Then I’d talk to the graduates about illuminating their dreams. Too often our dreams are burned off by that first cup of coffee and never make it into anything real and beautiful. By nightfall they are lost even to our own memories. Schools ought to graded on how well they teach their students to dream. I’d tell my graduates what Vincent Van Gogh said: “I dream my painting and then I paint my dream.” To be able to dream beautiful dreams and then make those dreams visible to others—now that makes for great contributions to humanity.

     Of course, a speech to graduates needs to include a summons to risk taking. A life that always plays safe, usually—all too soon--plays out. Oh, I don’t mean it ends. I mean it just settles into boredom. I’d tell the new grads what Martin Luther King, Jr. said: “Faith is taking the first step even when you don’t see the whole staircase.” Karl Barth, great 20th Century theologian, told about the man climbing in a long, dark stone staircase in a medieval tower. As he groped his way upward he suddenly lost his footing and began to fall. He blindly flailed his arms and in the darkness grabbed a rope—and rang the bell!

     The last point I’d make in my speech is that a great life requires that at least some, if not all things we do, must be done for love. Make your spirituality be driven by love more than duty, obligation or fear. Make a family for love. I’d remind them of this bit of wisdom by Confucius: “Choose a job you love and you’ll never have to work a day in your life.” That’s the truth. If he had not beat me to it by 2,500 years, I would have said that myself.

     Finally, I’ll tell them that if they follow this path they will have great lives and they will live such long lives, they will match the late great comedian, George Burns. He observed as he enjoyed his great life of 100 years: “First you forget names, then you forget faces. Next you forget to pull your zipper up and finally you forget to pull it down!” I say, that’s the truth! And that’s alright! If you do it, you will leave yours a better and happier world for having been here!

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