During my high school years, I read several different
books. Some books were action-packed and interesting. Others were sad and
thought-provoking. One book in particular stood out to me. It was about the
story of a young individual who was at a crucial point in his life. The chapter
I read was an exciting one, the main character had just accomplished a major
task. Eagerly, I turned the page to start the next chapter. To my surprise, the
page was blank. Figuring that it was a mistake, I turned another page.
Surprisingly, that page was blank as well. I kept turning the blank pages until
I reached the back cover of the book. I then realized that the book was about my
life, and the main character was me.
Classmates, today we are all the principle character of
our own book and each of us is at an important juncture in life. We’ve endured
four years of life known as high school. Remember the time you first took the
SATs, got your license, applied to college, or got a job? Many of us have seen
happiness, sadness, love, death, joy, and pain in these past four
years…hopefully we are more mature because of our experiences and ready to face
the challenges that lie ahead of us.
In our book known as life, several people have shaped and
molded us into the person we are today. Our parents, siblings, teachers,
pastors, and friends have greatly influenced us -we owe them our thanks. To my
fellow classmates here today, think of the sacrifices your parents have endured
to have you graduate. Many mothers have given up their careers to help us become
self-learners. While mothers are often recognized for their role in
homeschooling, fathers play an equally important role in their unseen support.
Several times during my high school years, I wanted to go to public school…but
looking back today, I can say it was worth being homeschooled for the past
twelve years. On behalf of my fellow graduates, I thank all the moms and dads
for your endless dedication and love. Because of your years of sacrifices, we
are well equipped to pursue our goals successfully.
Ultimately, the greatest recognition should be given to
the author of our story- Jesus Christ. He puts the characters into place and
brings our story to life. Quite frankly, without God there would be no story.
Today, we are here to commemorate our graduation from
high school. Like the character in the analogy, we are at the end of another
chapter- albeit an exciting chapter. The blank story of our future has many more
twists and turns before it ends. While our book of blank pages has yet to be
completed, there are two examples of finished stories that we can learn from.
One is an example of an extremely talented individual who became blinded by
ambition and lost all he loved. In the second example, the hero recognizes his
responsibility in life and saved those he loved.
For the first example, let’s look at the final product of
George Lucas, the third Star Wars movie, Revenge of the Sith. In this movie, the
young, but powerful Anakin Skywalker was at a turning point in his life. Like
us, he overcame some hurdles in his life and as a result, he was honored and
revered. Instead of being satisfied, Anakin rebuked the council of his elders
and was blinded by his lust for more power and success. As most of you know,
sadly, Anakin transforms into the villain we all know as Darth Vader.
For the second example, let’s look at the life of Peter
Parker in the story of Spiderman. Peter Parker was at a similar stage in his
life. He had just graduated and was about to move on with his life when he
discovered that he possessed spider-like, superhuman abilities. Instead of using
his newfound powers to benefit himself, Peter Parker risked his life to save
others.
Two people. Two young men with great
potential. Two individuals at the climax of their life. Yet one is known as the
nefarious Darth Vader…and the other as the heroic Spiderman. Like Anakin
Skywalker and Peter Parker, we are at an important phase of life. The question
is: will we become like Darth Vader or like Spiderman?
Today, we are at the end of one chapter in
life. As we turn the page to another chapter of our life, let us not forget
those who have helped us in the past chapters- our teachers, our family, our
friends. The future is in front of us, we don’t know what twists and turns the
plot will take…but most importantly, let us not neglect the Author of our story-
Jesus Christ.
