{"id":618,"date":"2010-04-29T14:17:17","date_gmt":"2010-04-29T14:17:17","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/hub-dev.bates.edu\/commencement\/?page_id=618"},"modified":"2015-03-19T16:19:49","modified_gmt":"2015-03-19T20:19:49","slug":"the-invocation","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.bates.edu\/commencement\/annual\/y2005\/baccalaureate-service\/the-invocation\/","title":{"rendered":"The Invocation"},"content":{"rendered":"

Offered by Rachel Herzig<\/strong><\/p>\n

Change.
\nIt\u2019s not easy.
\nNot for most of us anyway.
\nAnd yet
\nthe Class 2005 has,
\nduring their four college years,
\nlived not only the usual transitions of young adulthood,
\nbut also massive,
\nunprecedented,
\nchange
\non campus, in Lewiston-Auburn, in the United States, and throughout the world.
\nChange brings a core challenge,
\na spiritual challenge:
\nHow will we face the new,
\nespecially when it is not what we wanted?
\nWill we run away \u2014
\nrun to avoidance
\nto denial
\nto aggression?
\nOr will we move
\ntoward change
\ntoward uncertainty,
\ntoward our own fear and dismay?
\nIn other words,
\nwill we close
\nour hearts,
\nour minds
\nour souls
\nin an effort \u2014
\nfutile really \u2014
\nto protect ourselves?
\nOr
\nwill we instead
\nopen
\nWorking to love
\nand
\nto understand
\nmore<\/i> deeply
\nWorking to give
\nand
\nto receive
\nmore<\/i> thoroughly
\nWill we ourselves
\nbecome the world
\nin which we want to live?
\nOf these options,
\nthe Class of 2005
\nhas chosen the courageous,
\nthe daring,
\ncourse.
\nThe course filled with grace.
\nAnd the class gathers here today
\nto give thanks for this,
\nAnd for the education,
\nwhich has helped to enable it.
\nThey also gather,
\nperhaps even more importantly,
\nto give thanks
\nTo
\nand for
\nyou<\/i>.
\nTheir
\nparents,
\ngrandparents,
\nsiblings,
\naunts,
\nuncles,
\nteachers \u2014 in many guises \u2014
\nand friends
\nwho give
\nand have given
\nso much
\nto support the members of the Class of 2005
\nin becoming
\nthe people they wish to be.
\nSo let us now,
\ntogether,
\nobserve a few moments of silence
\nIn thanksgiving
\nfor one another
\nand in the hope
\nthat we will,
\nall of us,
\ncontinue to meet
\nthe changing tides
\nof our time
\nwith the holy work
\nof ever widening
\nhearts
\nand minds.<\/p>\n

Amen.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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