Graduation time has just passed. Lots of families have been marking important family events, attending the high school and college graduations of their loved ones (Not to mention kindergarten graduations, elementary school graduations, etc.). Graduations aren’t just about the one graduating. They are family benchmarks. Generally, parents and grandparents understand much better than the graduate what such an occasion signals.

I’m not all that sure how concerned Jesus is about graduations; I know he is most concerned about graduates. But, our society has built an education system that highly values knowledge and learning. Even though I’m a lifelong student and personally committed to learning, I think much of this assessment of the importance of knowledge is unwise and unfair though. “Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up” (1 Cor. 8:1). Don’t get me wrong, as I’m well aware that learning is at the root of discipleship. It’s just the value we place on certain kinds of knowledge that is troubling.

All over students are being honored for great accomplishments in the sciences, in math, in social studies, in medicine, in law, etc. Yet, so many know so little, and often care so little, about ethics and morals and human social issues. So much emphasis is placed on the value of education in starting salaries and earning potential and personal accomplishment. But, so little is taught about the value of people and the importance of taking care of the disadvantaged and the lost. Sadly, this is true even among our Christian educational institutions as many Christians seemingly exert great effort to simply “Christianize” worldly goals.

Education, for the Christian, ought to be seen as a way of gearing up for the Mission. Education ought to be seen as a gateway and an opportunity. Education ought to be a type of positioning by the disciple to be able to fulfill one’s kingdom calling. Education should never, ever be seen by the Christian as a measure of value or worth. “For he who is least among you all—he is the greatest” (Luke 9:48). And, “the parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor” (1 Cor. 12:23).

Yet, as with other worldly endeavors, sadly, the church often seems to have a way of being at the forefront of championing issues that, although they may arguably have some value or be “right” in ways, ought not to be the Christians’ foci. I think it’s that way with militarism and Zionism and nuclear proliferation. While the church of God has rightly debated the role of the Christian in the military, it seems to me that Christians, at best, ought to be very sad to be involved in armament and war. We ought to mourn that, even as I write or as you read this, tons of missiles are aimed at sites all over the world and could, in a few short minutes, virtually destroy the face of the planet and the humans that God loves so dearly. It ought to sadden us to be in the war with the Arabs that our Jewish ancestors in the faith have been in from ancient times.

I recently attended the college graduation of my son, Kale. Tana and I are so, so proud of Kale. It took him a little longer to get traction and finish, but Kale’s accomplishments, to me, are some of the greatest I’ve celebrated! In our “one-size-fits-all” educational system, some do great and some get blisters and some give up. It just doesn’t fit many of us very well. Kale was one it didn’t fit very well. But, it’s what we’ve got and it’s the only game in town and it’s pretty good compared to the alternative. But, Kale finally accepted it and played the game by the rules laid out. We tend to value those who get educations from the “best” colleges and make the greatest grades. Don’t get me wrong, those who are able to do well ought to be commended. Just not valued more highly. As well, those who pay the price and exert the effort to attend and graduate from the “best” colleges are to be commended as well for their foresight and sacrifice and fortitude. But those who weren’t able to do such and yet have excelled in their callings for God ought to be commended too.

But, I believe one of the hallmarks of the Christian community, and thus what should be a hallmark of society at large, is that we place great value on the least and the weakest. It ought to apply in education as well. We must appreciate the student who could only finish elementary school because in her part of the world, that’s all she got. We must appreciate the student who could only finish high school because in his world, that outdid his whole ancestry and no one had the vision or the money to see him further. We must appreciate the student who went to and finished college not because she really wanted to or was all that interested in it, but because she realized that college graduates start out making at least $10,000 more a year than the one that didn’t go to college. In the very same position! And, we must appreciate those who get degrees and then use them to serve God in low-paying positions of high kingdom-esteem.

Kale finished at a college with a Christian underpinning, Amberton University. I completed an MBA at the same college in 1991. Impressively, the president used the parable of the talents as her commencement topic. But, I still wondered as the graduates crossed the stage—Bachelors of Arts, Bachelors of Sciences, Bachelors of Business Administration, Masters of Arts, Masters of Sciences, Masters of Business Administration—what their purposes were. Why did they do it? And, what were the families and friends of each cheering about? Or, had anybody much thought about it?
I didn’t get to cheer for Kale as we walked across the stage, although about 25 friends and family rocked the house, but I cheered for Kale in my heart and tears welled up in my eyes. At his college each graduate gets to have one escort walk in with them, sit with them and walk across the stage with them. Wow, what an honor. I represented Tana, our other three children, and all those friends and teachers and mentors who’ve invested so generously in Kale. Tana and I have spent hundreds of hours praying for Kale, doctoring Kale to just keep him alive, studying with Kale and otherwise keeping him on track. Only parents really understand the emotions. So, we got that done.

But, what we’re really proud about is that Kale right now is who one 12 year-old boy considers his ONLY friend because he really IS the little guy’s friend. What we’re really proud of is that Kale made a commitment to God when he was 15 and he meant it. What we’re most proud of is that Kale may have neglected school and study at times, but he never neglected his friends. We are most proud because Kale has helped friends become believers. You see, Kale is a disciple and the education we’ve all worked to help him get is only as valuable as it is to his kingdom service. And, that value won’t be measured in dollars but in souls and in pleasing his heavenly Father. That was Tana’s and my job raising him. It’s now his life work.

So, celebrate your graduations. But, celebrate them with some sense of how it all fits into the big picture. Celebrate them in a way that doesn’t devalue those who couldn’t “do” it for whatever reason—money, talent, etc. Don’t send the wrong signals to the graduate or to anyone else watching. “Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up.” Love and teach your graduates to love—like Jesus did. That’s how people will know we’re Christ’s disciples.
And, Kale, just know that your mom, siblings and I, and all your family and friends are so, so proud of you for your accomplishment, but most of all for who you are in Christ.