A Charge to the Graduates,
The prophet Isaiah assures us that those who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint. In this season that marks the ending of one achievement, many of you are waiting on God to hear about the next assignment, the next calling, the next move, or the next steps. In this “between time,” I give you this charge:
As you wait for God’s divine justice, work to love your neighbors as yourselves.
As you wait to hear from God, labor to do that which is required of you – caring for the widowed, the orphaned, the stranger, the unhoused, the least, the lost, and the lonely.
As you wait for God’s mercy, extend as much grace to others as God has so lovingly extended to you.
As you wait for the new heaven and the new earth, act as the hands and feet of God to turn this world upside down.
While you wait on the Lord, be of good courage. Know that strength, joy, and purpose come to those who wait.
Best,
Yolanda Pierce
Dean
Cornelius Vanderbilt Chair
Professor of Religion & Literature
