Pomp and Circumstance

It's that time of year -- high school proms are the sign that seniors are on the verge of starting a new phase of life.

I'm too lazy to research the origin of the orchestral "Pomp and Circumstance" that will fill gymnasiums and civic centers come June. But what an appropriately titled piece of music for high school graduation.

There certainly is a lot of pomp when it comes to receiving the diploma. I'm not exactly sure why. Don't we all expect that our children will graduate from high school? Maybe the graduation rate in some areas of the country isn't so hot, but here in Iowa, it's got to be pretty high. Certainly, completing 12 years of school is the norm, not the exception. But the celebration that will take place when junior walks the stage and flips his tassle will be huge. So much whoopla for an event that simply fulfills basic expectations. (I know, I'm a big party pooper!)

To me, it's the circumstance that is much more notable than the pomp. Eighteen year-old kids now begin to make decisions that will affect the rest of their lives. College? Be ready to assume tens of thousands of dollars of debt, unless mom and dad have prudently saved for this (as mine did, what a blessing). Workforce? Statistics show that the absence of a college degree will generally impede your lifelong earnings potential dramatically. Marriage? Scary to think that an 18 year-old knows themselves and their prospective mate well enough to make "forever after" vows with any staying power. Babies? If marriage is tough at 18, how about raising kids! Moving out from home? Time to hand over $500 a month in rent, so you better be financially prepared.

And perhaps even more important than any of this is the decision that a teenager makes about the spiritual course of their life. Mom and dad's values (whether good or bad) are in the rear view mirror after high school graduation. They can still be seen (and have an effect), but they grow ever distant.

You're 18. What are you going to do with Jesus, this historical, mystical, supernatural figure you've come to know a little about. As you venture out into the world, does Jesus sit beside you in the passenger seat, or does He become the yield sign you speed through with little thought? Or, even more fanatically, does He take position behind the wheel and lead you around?

I remember 18. It was all about what I thought I knew -- what I could hold, see, taste and touch. Decisions were about short-term gain, not long-term consequences.

If there were a graduate reading this blog today, here's what I would ask them to consider:

2 Corinthians 4:18 So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

Life is bigger than the party in your garage on June 4th. Our existence is so much more than what we sense. Take off your blinders and open your eyes to the truth that exists beyond your sightlines. The most important circumstance is that of your relationship with the unseen. Your most important journey is the one that begins today and will never end.

Turn your eyes upon Jesus,
Look full in His wonderful face.
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim,
In the light of His glory and grace.