From the President

I am filled with joy having witnessed your diligent persistence as you pursued your degrees, but I am also genuinely sad as I look upon your faces and realize how much we will miss your daily presence on campus. As a graduating class, you have witnessed difficulties and challenges such as unparalleled gun violence, the outbreak of war in Ukraine, escalating racial tensions, rampant discord and disrespect in politics, divided churches and a global pandemic that significantly altered life for several years. Of your four university years, three were defined by COVID-19.

We placed our steadfast hope in God through all of the turmoil. We will not forget desperately trying to recognize each other despite the face coverings; trying to have private conversations while maintaining the 6-foot Falcon wingspan; participating in choir and band practices held on the outdoor tennis courts; experiencing heartbreaking disappointment when sports seasons were cancelled; and embracing the fun of a spring break staycation in Grantham! We learned to depend on God and each other as we mourned, lamented, adapted and responded to the challenges of the day.

In the Old Testament, the prophet Samuel acknowledges God’s faithfulness in a tangible way. The Israelites were repeatedly defeated by the Philistines, but God intervened in miraculous ways, and the ark of the Lord – or covenant – was eventually returned. 1 Samuel 7 tells of the Philistines drawing near to the Israelite’s camp one last time. The Lord thundered so loudly, the Philistine troops were thrown into panic and were subsequently defeated. Samuel then did something simple—but significant: he took a stone, called it ebenezer, which means “stone of help”—and placed it at the site of the Philistines’ defeat, reminding the battered Israelite people: “Thus far the Lord has helped us.”

Today, as we reflect on the difficulties of recent years, we also celebrate how the Lord helped us—as individuals and as a Christ-centered educational community. I pray that your time at Messiah University will serve as an ebenezer to you.

At Messiah, you experienced intellectual growth when you encountered new ideas and perspectives, wrestled with challenging theories and constructs, and mastered concepts and practices relative to your field of study and to the central human questions of life. Continue to embrace the posture of a lifelong learner defined by humility and curiosity. Nurture your skills of analysis and critical thinking and increase your capacity for empathy. Demonstrate to our fractured world how a person of vibrant Christian faith pursues and embodies grace and truth. Seek opportunities to serve as God’s agents of reconciliation. Set the example by creating communities who embrace all of God’s children. Class of 2023, you are ebenezers for me. You possess all the promise and potential of the leaders, servants and reconcilers that this world and the church desperately need, and this ceremony bears witness to your faithfulness and God’s.  Congratulations, class of 2023, we love you!