A COUNSEL FOR THE GRADUATES (1 Timothy 6: 11-12)

 I am sure that all the motion picture aficionados are quite familiar with Dustin Hoffman (1937- ).  An actor with a strong individuality, he became a star with his debut in the 1967 classic, “The Graduate.”   “The Graduate” opened in Korea during the early 70s and became a popular hit.

 “The Graduate” is a story about a young Ivy League graduate who was involved in an adulterous affair with a married woman.  This young man, who had no defined goals in life, wanders aimlessly after his affair.  However, he eventually weds the woman that he fell in love with.  Everyone who saw the movie probably remembers the scene in which Hoffman interrupts the wedding ceremony of the woman he loves to take her by the hand and elope with her.

 Before he became a bona fide star with his role in “The Graduate,” Dustin Hoffman had worked every odd job imaginable while struggling with poverty.  He worked as a nurse, a waiter, a shirt salesman, a pianist, a typist, and a number of other vocations to earn a living.  Despite his stardom as an actor, he is not a particularly handsome man.  Rather, his facial features, when compared with other handsome and beautiful faces of Hollywood, sometimes lend a dumbfounded and clue less expression.  Yet, he caught the eye of Director Mike Nichols and was chosen as the lead in his classic.

 Hoffman, initially thinking that he lacked the pedigree to do the part, recommended Robert Redford to play the role.  Yet the movie, upsetting all predictions by critics, became an instant hit and a classic.  Hoffman’s particular style of acting stammering, dumbfounded yet eccentric took Hollywood, which was wrought with statuesque actors and actresses, like an approaching comet.

 Seeing all the high school graduates today reminded me of the classic, “The Graduate.”  Each one of you probably feels different sentiments and emotions as you graduate from school, yet all of you probably share a common feeling.  Expectations and anxiety towards the future this ambivalent emotion is something that all graduating students probably share.  All of you who are graduating probably have some dreams about your future.  On the other hand, all of you probably have some anxieties and fears towards the uncertainty of your future.

 Remember that you control your destinies that what happens in your future depends on your attitude and the actions that you take.  There is an interesting anecdote that I’d like to share with you.  At the height of chaos and corruption in the Roman Empire, a mother of a young man aspiring for politics had reservations regarding her son.  In hopes of discouraging him from entering politics, she gave him the following counsel.  “If you are honest, then you will be hurt by others.  If you are dishonest, then you will incur the wrath of God.  Either way, you will get hurt.  So the best thing to do is avoiding politics altogether.” 

 Despite his mother’s reservations, the young man was determined to enter into politics.  So he replied, “Mother, if I am honest then I don’t have to worry about angering God; and if I am dishonest, then I wouldn’t be hurt by other people.  Either way, I will not get hurt by entering into politics.”

 The above story sounds like a sophism a clever yet fallacious argument yet, there is a major difference between the viewpoints of the mother and the son.  The mother held a pessimistic view, while the son only had an optimistic view.  As a result, the mother tried earnestly to stop her son from entering politics, while the son desired to realize his dream.

 Depending on the attitude you take as new graduates, your future will reflect vast differences.  Have a positive thought, harbor a vision about your future, and be confident whenever possible.  A bright future will surely await you.  To all the graduates out there, I want to make the following two requests.

  First, no matter where you are or what you do, live according to God’s words.  Whether you are off to college or pursuing your vocational dreams in the society, carefully read God’s words in the Bible.  There are many books that you will be required to read in the future.  Do not be complacent or negligent with reading the Bible.  The Bible contains all the wisdom required in this world.

 The Second Epistle of Timothy, 3: 16-17, states the following.  “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.”  If you surround yourself with God’s words, and live within its proximity, you will surely walk the path of God’s blessings.

 I would like to share two Bible-related stories with you.  The first story appeared in a “Dear Abby” column some time ago.  A young man graduated from a high school in a very affluent neighborhood.  In this school, parents traditionally bought expensive cars for new graduates.  The young man, Bill, and his father went to a number of dealerships for months looking for the right car.  One week before graduation, they were able to find the perfect car for Bill.  On the night before graduation, however, Bill’s father carefully wrapped a Bible and gave it to his son for his graduation.  Nothing was mentioned about the car that they had settled on.  Bill, very upset, threw the Bible on the floor and stormed out of the house for good.  He did not go back home after that incident, vowing to never see his father again.

 Well, Bill succeeded, for his father passed away few years later.  Upon hearing that his father had died, Bill returned home.  One day, he found the Bible that his father had presented to him as a graduation gift some years back.  Bill wiped off the dust that had settled on the Bible over the years and opened the cover.  There was a surprising thing inside the Bible.  Enclosed in the Bible was a check in the amount of the price of the car that they had decided to buy for Bill’s graduation.  Rather than just buying the car for his son, Bill’s father enclosed the check inside the Bible to have his son read it.

 Here’s another story.  A famous member of a notorious gang in India was named Ramad.  Ramad and few of his fellow gang members were robbing a house when he spotted a Bible on top of a dining room table.  Ramad thought that leafy pages of the Bible would make excellent cigarette roll paper.  Without giving it much thought, Ramad took the Bible to his house and used its pages to roll and smoke his cigarettes. 

 One day, Ramad realized that the pages of the Bible were written in his language.  Before every time he rolled his cigarettes, he would read the page of the Bible that he ripped out.  Several weeks passed since he started reading the pages of the Bible.  One day, while he was ripping out another page of the Bible to roll his cigarettes, Ramad was greatly graced by the words on that page.  He knelt all of a sudden, and prayed for Jesus to come into his heart to forgive him of all his sins.  At that moment, he repented his sins and turned himself into the police.  He spent his days in the prison as a great missionary leading countless number of inmates and guards alike into the embrace of our Lord. 

 When you hold God’s words near your hearts, you will experience similar miracles.  No matter what you study in the future, make sure you have a copy of the Bible nearby.  Within it lies the path, the truth, and the life.

 Second, harbor the desire to contribute something to our society.  Three types of people exist in this world.  There are the ‘spider’ types.  Just as spiders spin their webs to trap and devour other insects, these people do things to harm and endanger other people.  These people can survive only by hurting and harming other people.  Then there are the ‘ant’ types.  Ants work industriously day in and day out.  These type of people, just like ants, do not hurt others and do not help others; rather, they just work their way through the day, working for themselves and not being harmful or beneficial to others.  Most people in the world today probably can be classified as the ‘ant’ type.  Lastly, there are the ‘honey bee’ types.  Honeybees are also industrious.  But their diligence is not limited to serving solely their own interests; rather, their hard work end up benefiting other people.

 No matter what you do in the future, I pray that all of you become the ‘honeybee’ type.  Live the life that is beneficial to your neighbors, just as lives of honeybees help others.  If you cannot be a honeybee, then at least be an ant being assiduous yet not harmful to others.  Do not be the spider the ones whose existence depends on misery and pain of others.

 Then how do we live like a honeybee?  First, we need to inculcate certain values into our characters.  Intellect and abilities without virtues are useless and fruitless.  There is a famous Korean-American family in the US that boasts 12 doctorate degrees in the family.  It is the family of Mrs. Hyesung Chun.  Both Mrs. Chun and her husband have Ph. Ds; furthermore, all their six children have doctorate degrees from Harvard or Yale.  Their third son, Harold Koh, worked as the senior professor in the law department of Yale University and served as an Assistant Secretary in the State Department.  Mrs. Chun, who raised these great children, always stressed one precept to her children as they were growing up:  “Do not let your abilities surpass your virtues.”  In another words, place greater emphasis on developing one’s virtues rather than focusing on honing one’s abilities.  The lesson she taught her children stressed development of their virtues for the purpose of serving the society and becoming a source of benefit for other people.

 It is all right to be less than perfect academically.  It is okay to lack in some abilities.  But do not harm others.  Be the indispensable member of this society.  Do not be complacent in working towards perfecting your character; always strive to be the virtuous, beneficial person whom others look to for help.   

Someone once said that graduation was a “conclusion for a new beginning.”  Graduation is a new start, not the end.  That is why graduation ceremonies are called “commencements.”  “Commencement” means a new start, a new beginning therefore, graduation is a new start.  For those of you awaiting this new beginning, I implore you to forget what’s behinds you.  Draft up a great, big dream regarding your future.  And in the midst of this dream, always remember that you are the chosen ones of God, His children and His people.

 In a letter to his young protégé Timothy, Paul makes the following request.  “But you, O man of God, flee these things and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, gentleness.  Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, to which you were also called and have confessed the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.” 

 Remember that God gave today’s scripture to all the graduates who will be starting their steps towards their future.  You are all people of God.  No matter what we do, we must live the precious and beautiful life that is befitting of people of God.  I pray and hope that all of your paths will be filled with God’s grace and blessings. 

​Amen.