Salutatory & Valedictory Address

COMMENCEMENT ADDRESS:

Rev. Joe McDaniel

Today it is my goal to say something relevant and meaningful to you in about ten minutes. Class of 2021, as you move from high school to college and then into the real world, it is my hope and prayer that you will have successful lives and meaningful careers. But please understand that success should never be equated with personal gain or material possessions. Real success means being who God has created and called you to be and then giving Him the credit and glory.

I hope you all understand how truly blessed you are to become graduates of an exceptional college-preparatory school that is unashamedly Christian in both heritage and in practice.

I have four brief points that I hope you will remember today.

First, as a Christ-follower, God has supernaturally gifted you with talents and skills that are unique to only you.

He blessed you with personality, intelligence, and certain skills in drama, art, athletics, music, technology, and He has given you spiritual gifts as well. God has made you unique, so be thankful for that.

I love the fable about the eagle, the duck, and the rabbit. The eagle obviously could fly, but he couldn’t swim. The duck could swim, but he couldn’t run fast. The rabbit could run fast, but he couldn’t fly. Each animal had a strong suit unlike the others. The lesson is this: don’t moan and complain about what you don’t have or those things that you can’t do. Instead, be thankful for what you do have and what you can do. Build on and use the strengths and the talents that God has given to you.

Second, you are leaving a legacy.

Just as FPD has a strong and lasting legacy of excellence in Christian education, likewise, you’re leaving a legacy of your own. The Nobel Peace Prize is given to those who have made exceptional contributions in science, the arts, technology, or in service for the betterment of mankind.

Let me tell you a story about the Nobel Peace Prize that you may not have heard. Alfred Nobel was a chemist who made his fortune by inventing powerful explosives, and then selling the formula to foreign governments who made deadly weapons. One day, Nobel’s brother died, but a newspaper accidentally listed an obituary for Alfred Nobel instead of his deceased brother. The obituary identified Alfred Nobel as the inventor of dynamite, who made a fortune by enabling armies to create new levels of mass destruction. Alfred Nobel had the unique opportunity to read his own obituary while he lived and see how he would be remembered. Naturally then, he was shocked to find that this is what his life had become. He would be remembered as a merchant of death and destruction. That’s when Nobel took his fortune and used it to create awards for accomplishments that contributed to life rather than death. And today, he is remembered for his contributions to peace and human achievement and not for explosives.

Class of 2021, people will look at your lives and they will remember you at some level. Someone is watching your life, while there are others who will even emulate what you do. Maybe it’s a younger sibling or a fifth or an eighth grader who thinks you are cool, funny, or someone they want to imitate. My guess is you did the same thing when you were younger as you looked up at those who were seniors. Your challenge is to leave a godly, Christ-like legacy for those who follow you.

Third, be wise.

Solomon tells us in Proverbs 1:7 that the “fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. Fools despise wisdom and instruction.” I feel certain that you have been taught in your years at FPD the story of Solomon and how God gave him the choice of anything he wanted. Solomon chose wisdom.

Graduates, please don’t make important life decisions based on your feelings, trends, emotions, and certainly not on the opinions of others. Don’t ask if something is legal, or lawful, or even ethical. Do ask what is the wise thing to do, because wisdom truly does come from God. We gain wisdom by seeing the world around us from a biblical perspective. So graduates, be wise

A successful American businessman once told a gathering of young adults, “Choose your friends carefully, because your life will drift in the direction of your friends. Don’t just choose people whom you like, choose people whom you greatly respect.”

Fourth, have a heart of gratitude.

Graduates, show appreciation to the people who have helped you get to this good place in your young life. All of us should be thankful for those men and women who had a vision for a Christian school in Macon 50-plus years ago. Back then, teachers, administrators, and families moved from the comfort of their existing school systems to establish First Presbyterian Day School. Even in those early days when buildings were new but barely functional, coupled with facilities that were less than what students were accustomed to, FPD quickly became Middle Georgia’s school that was Christian-based and academically-challenging. That is still FPD today, and we should all be thankful.

I hope you will thank your grandparents who may have helped you with tuition or possibly brought you to school, watched you in plays and concerts, attended art shows, and cheered for you in competition.

Class, be thankful for FPD’s dedicated, highly-competent faculty, the most loyal group of committed educators anywhere. Their professional lives have been dedicated to the calling that God placed on them, so be thankful for them.

Especially, be thankful for your parents who sacrificed financially and in other ways for you to attend FPD. They took you to games and practices when you weren’t old enough to drive. Because they love you, your parents provided a jumpstart for college and a career so you can go in whichever direction God leads you.

Tonight, before you go to sleep, hug and kiss your parents, and thank them for providing the blessing of a Christian education for you.

Scripture tell us to have grateful hearts and to be thankful in all things. Have a heart of gratitude.

So today, I congratulate you, Class of 2021. You have worked hard and you have endured. You’ve had a good attitude about life in the shadow of Covid, and you have remained faithful to the academic task before you.

But while you are planning out your life and future goals, please don’t forget that you need to consistently monitor the condition of your heart as well as the nurture of your soul. Please understand this, universities may help you navigate the world of business, medicine, law, education, and other disciplines as you pursue a career. But many, if not most, will miss the mark when it comes to teaching character, honesty, compassion, service to others, and spiritual discipline. But you have been taught all of those things, both at home and here at FPD.

However long you have been a student here, you have been educated and equipped to change the world – your world – for God’s glory, so now is your opportunity to do just that. I want to close with a brief passage written by James Dobson, the founder of Focus on the Family. These words have helped me remain focused on what is really important in life.

When I reach the end of my days, a moment or two from now, I must look backward on something more meaningful than the pursuit of houses and land, stocks and bonds. I will consider my earthly existence wasted unless I can recall a loving family, a consistent investment in the lives of others, and an earnest attempt to serve the God who made me. Nothing else makes much sense.

Class of 2021, may God bless you, protect you, and keep you as you move on from FPD into this exciting journey we call life. I love you, and I pray God’s very best for you and your families. Bless you all.

Rev. Joe McDaniel is from Macon, Georgia. He coached and taught in Middle Georgia for a decade before joining Mercer University’s Admissions Office. While at Mercer, he accepted a call into full-time ministry. He served as associate pastor at Mabel White Baptist Church for 25 years, followed by seven years as senior pastor at Musella Baptist Church. In 2019, Rev. McDaniel came out of retirement to serve as interim Head of School for First Presbyterian Day School for 18 months. His ministry spans four decades and he has impacted lives for Christ wherever he has been. Joe and his wife of 52 years, Cynthia, have two children, Krista and Chad, and six grandchildren.