Good morning my dear friends. I am pleased and proud to be here with you on this very special day. While many graduation speakers like to focus on the things that will be different wen you leave school and enter the so-called "real world," I would like to discuss what must remain the same. For although university communities tend to be filled with transient populations, there are some very special qualities that you, as you go forth from this institution, should carry with you in your hearts. You cannot stay on campus, but I hope, my friends, that you will take some elements of the campus with you.

Student populations are known for their idealism, their willingness to join in the struggles of the oppressed, to raise a cry for the voiceless. Perhaps when you all have full-time jobs you will have less time to raise a cry of protest, but I do hope you will exercise your lungs-or your pen-from time to time in defense of the interests of the poor and the oppressed. It is common today to regard the loss of idealism as a natural part of growing up, and to accept that all adults must be jaded in some way. I find this most unfortunate and sad. If we allow ourselves to believe that we are doomed to a future of cynicism, where shall we find hope from which to create our common future?

When we look to the future, we can only look with optimism. Francois Guizot once said that the world belongs to the optimists; pessimists are only spectators. However, being an optimist, or an idealist, does not mean closing your eyes to the world's problems. As we gather here in this prestigious place, we must remind ourselves that 1.3 billion people live on less than one dollar per day. As we celebrate your hard-won academic achievement, we should pause to remember that more than 850 million adults around the world do not know how to read and write. As we anticipate celebrations with family and friends, let us not forget that in several countries and territories around the world the people are crying with the anguish of wars that seem never to end. Truly, my friends, when we take the time to ponder the ongoing deprivation of the poor and the acts of brutality that are committed on a daily basis, it is indeed very easy to become discouraged about the prospects for lasting peace and development in our world.

Unfortunately, human instinct seems to tell us to focus on the negative. Perhaps this is a result of our built-in instinct for survival; we must be aware of the dangers around us in order to defend ourselves from them. But for every source of danger that captures our attention, we miss a vision of beauty, an act of kindness, a moment of peaceful coexistence. Such pieces of life fade into the background, and the dark spots loom up, causing fear and pessimism. But those who have been able to change the world for the better are more likely to have been like the man of La Mancha, who changed every windmill he could find, and never lost sight of the beauty in the ordinary things of life. So I implore you my friends, do not let life's problems rob you of your idealism; it is the force upon which the creation of a positive future depends.

Another quality that students are famous for is their solidarity with those who must struggle in this life. I would be willing to bet that a large percentage of you have been involved in some type of community service during your time at La Sierra University. Perhaps it is because students themselves so frequently have to work to make ends meet and juggle competing commitments, that they are quick to empathize and lend a hand to those for whom opportunity has been elusive, and hard knocks have abounded.

Once again, conventional wisdom dictates that as your professional careers begin to bring you more comfortable lifestyles, and as you move to safe and quiet suburbs, you will begin to forget about the continuing plight of the poor in the cities and rural areas of this country. It may also be predicted that your busy lives as professionals and parents will leave you with a string of good intentions, but little time to follow through. While recognizing the different types of pressures that will accompany your transition from college to careers, I once again want to urge you not to let the practice of solidarity slip away from you. Volunteering to mentor a child, serving on a neighborhood task force or raising funds for a charitable organization are all activities that will enrich not only the lives of others, but your own as well. Anyone who has participated in service to their community knows that one receives as much as one gives, if not more. As you leave this institution, make your best effort to keep alive the spirit of service that is so strongly felt here.

My friends, in order to reach the milestone you are at today, you have had to work hard and persevere through many obstacles and challenges. I'm afraid I have to tell you though, that the hard work does not end today. It is only beginning. Our world is full of complex challenges, and there can be no real rest for those who are concerned with human well-being, with peace and justice. I'm sure that each and every one of you has earned a vacation on a Caribbean Island, relaxing on the beach and watching the ships go by. If you can, take that vacation. And when you return, take up the tools you have developed over the past several years-your knowledge, critical thinking, communication and leadership skills-and put them to work for the good of humankind.

I am not suggesting that all of you take jobs in the non-profit sector or become tomorrow's peace negotiators and Red Cross volunteers. Some of you will take these very worthy paths, because you feel in your hearts called to do so. There is no greater honor, and no greater responsibility, than to follow your calling in life. Many of you are called to labor in the fields of business, technology, academia, and finance. If this is where you are happy, then this is where you are meant to be. Whatever field you choose, and wherever life's path takes you, you will be faced with this choice: to give yourself over to drudgery and boredom, or to infuse your work with meaning and value. You will choose whether to divorce your values from your professional life, or to find ways each day to practice peace, solidarity and social justice, in whatever setting surrounds you.

The great goals of humanity are not achieved only on the large-scale battlefields of war and peace, by politicians and saints. The most important changes in our world are built on everyday human interactions. They are founded in the hundred opportunities each person has everyday to choose between kindness and indifference, between reaching out and excluding, between giving and hoarding, between listening and ignoring. The revolution that will truly bring peace and justice to our strife-torn world will not be borne on the shoulders of military men, but will be brought about by the changing of hearts. This is a much more difficult task, and one in which each of us has a responsibility to participate. The more you struggle with putting your own values into practice in your daily lives, the brighter the light of your example will shine, and the more durable will be the pockets of peace in every possible setting: in boardrooms and in courtrooms, in schools and in studios, in hospitals and in halls of government. I say to you, my friends, choose the path that makes you happy, and in that place be a beacon of integrity, compassion, tolerance and love.

There is one final characteristic of the student that I encourage you to retain, and that is the quest for knowledge. The end of a degree program should not mean the end of learning. There are a great many mysteries in life, and if we lose our curiosity, we lose much of what it is to live, and to grow. So wherever life takes you, always be a student. The assignments will be different, and your only grade will be your own satisfaction, but I can assure you that life has much to teach, and those who are committed to learning the lessons find that life is never boring.

What you learn, teach. By teaching I do not mean giving lectures to your friends and family about the most recent topic of your study. I mean putting the lessons you learn into practice and teaching by example. Teaching also implies being open to the questions of others, and engaging in honest dialogue with people who are different from yourself. When you realize how large and diverse the world is, you will not be satisfied to be surrounded only by people who look like you, talk like you, think like you, and act like you. The diversity of different cultures, languages, religions, interests, experiences, and gifts gives a richness to life that allows us always to be learning, and always to be teaching. It reminds us of our common humanity.

More than thirty years ago, Robert F. Kennedy spoke about the ability of each individual to make a difference. He said:

"It is from the numberless diverse acts of courage and belief that human history is shaped. Each time someone stands up for an ideal, or acts to improve the lot of others, or strikes out against injustice, that person sends a tiny ripple of hope, and crossing each other from a million different centers of energy and daring, those ripples build a current which can sweep down the mightiest walls of oppression and resistance."

My friends, there are still many walls of oppression and resistance that need to be brought down. The most tenacious of these is the walls we build between ourselves and those who are different from us: the walls of hatred, prejudice, disrespect and indifference. In a world where no country and no individual can live in complete isolation, our common future hangs on our ability to bring down those walls. It depends on our capacity to learn to understand each other and to respect each other, no matter how great the gulf that may divide our hearts and minds. I am sure that you have received a good foundation in these skills during your time at La Sierra. It is now up to you to go out and practice them in your daily lives, in a world where they will be challenged constantly. I wish you much courage, much hope and much strength. May God bless you.