c. 1999 Religion News Service

(Tom Ehrich is a writer and computer consultant, managing large-scale database implementations. He lives in Durham, N.C.)

UNDATED _ He was a marvelous baby, with a puckish grin and wide eyes taking in the wonder of life. He seemed unfazed by his older brother’s torment. He loved my little games, especially”piggy-to-market.” Now he towers over me and has the self-confidence I wish I had had at age 18. When he graduates from high school on Friday, I will be one more proud parent in the audience. But if I were on stage, this is what I would say to the Class of 1999: You enter a world of locked doors. Some are locked for fear, some for greed, some for bigotry, some for loneliness, some for no reason.

But all locked doors look the same when one stands outside.

I pray you will be openers of doors _ first your own, then, in love, the doors of others. For all our abundance, we are a lonely and isolated people. That is not God’s desire for us.

You enter a world ruled by self-interest _ that unshakable conviction that life will work better when I get what I want. We have moved little beyond the selfishness of toddlers.

I pray you will live your lives for others _ for those close to you and for strangers, especially outcasts. Too often, we are a grasping and numbed people. That is not God’s desire for us.

You enter a world where diversity is being given a chance. It is a hopeful time. Black, white, Asian, Hispanic _ gay, straight _ male and female. We are finding ways to coexist. Not only to coexist, but to enjoy each other.

The backlash is under way, too. Hatred prowls the halls of Congress. Hate movements steadily recruit new members. Guns flow from angry hand to angry hand. Resegregation of public schools has begun.

I pray you will be lovers of souls, seeing the infinite value of every human being. That is God’s desire for us.

You enter a world at war. Unspeakable crimes against humanity are happening daily in genocidal regimes like Yugoslavia. If you are called to military service, I pray you will serve proudly and not let yourselves become inhuman, even as you join the fight against inhumanity.

You enter a world where stark disparities crush human hope. It is sheer luck you were born Americans, many of above average means, some of significantly above average intelligence, most with parents who love you. You did nothing to deserve any of that. By another roll of the dice, you could have been born in North Korea or Rwanda, or spent your childhood hiding from abuse or enduring neglect.

I pray you will have the grace not to boast of any of your blessings. If you boast of anything, let it be of the goodness of God. The children of good fortune often become arrogant, cruel and brittle. That is not God’s desire for us.

You enter a world where nothing stays the same, where change happens at blazing speed. Today’s skills won’t count for enough tomorrow. You will need to be nimble, flexible, willing to adapt, able to work in partnership with people of all kinds, learning from them, lending your strength to them.

I pray you will fail early and often, so you can get beyond fear of failure, so you can discover who you are. Success is a poor teacher.

In three months, most of you will enter a collegiate world where diversions abound. Many around you will drown in the beer and get frustrated by the hard work.

I pray you will treasure the opportunity, discover the joy of learning, and allow your imagination to take flight.

You enter a world that thinks of itself as rediscovering religion. It’s revival time. Sadly, much of that revival is mean-spirited, grounded in the arrogance of right opinion and the sin of intolerance.

I pray you will turn instead to faith. Serve God _ in religion, outside religion _ but serve God. Serve the God who formed you in your mothers’ wombs, who gave your fathers arms to hold you, who has loved you from the dawn of creation.

DEA END EHRICH