My dear students, you have come a very, very, very long way. You have descended from the galaxies. You have risen from the earth. You have passed through the forms of innumerable species. You have emerged through the lives of your ancestors, your grandparents, and your parents. And now you are here at the frontier of existence.
You have a certain number of days. You have two hands to work the clay of the earth. You have two feet to walk – North, South, East, and West. In every direction, the earth unfolds before you, alive with infinite possibilities.
What will you do? Who will you be? What will be the purpose of your life?
These are important questions, perhaps even more important than any answers. Continue to search, question, explore, seek, witness, and experience life. As Jesus pleaded on the eve of his crucifixion, “Stay awake!”
Why were you chosen to be? What are you here to do? Were you born upon this great earth just to collect wealth and other possessions? Were you summoned forth into existence just to be entertained, to pass time? Will you just drift through your life or will you participate consciously and purposefully in creating your own destiny.
You know I trust each of you to be your own guide. And so I have tried to refrain from giving you advice over the past years. But it is the final moment of our time together and I have the honor of speaking to you. I would like to use that honor by giving you my advice on how to spend your lives…..
Love. Spend your lives in love. Find work that you love. Read books that you love. Eat food that you love. And dance to music that you love. Surround yourselves with those you love. But if you cannot be with the ones you love, love the ones you are with.
If your religion teaches you love, then practice that religion. If you find a church that encourages love, then join that church. If you find a political party that is based in love, loving and helping your fellow human beings, then join that political party. If you must make a decision, if you must choose a side, ask yourself, “Which side is love on?” And then join that side. Join that side.
I only have a little more time and I must tell you...
This is not an easy path that I am asking you to take. Your heart will be broken. A hundred times. You will lose those you love. You may stumble and fall. I know. I have fallen more than most. You may lose your pride for your love. You may even lose yourself. But even if you break your heart a hundred times, return to love again.
In the Bible, Jesus says: The rain falls equally on the righteous and on the sinner. The sun shines equally on the good and the bad person. God loves us all unconditionally. It is incredible, God loves us all equally and unconditionally. God loves us regardless of our nationality. God loves regardless of our race. God loves regardless of our religion. God loves us when we are good and when we are bad.
And so Christ asks us to be like God. Christ asks us to love each other unconditionally. Open your hearts. Open your hearts to every human, regardless of nationality, regardless of race, regardless of religion. Open your heart to all of humanity. And open your heart to every animal. And open your heart to every plant. Open your heart to the entire planet.
And let love give us its great goodness. Let love teach us its perfect forgiveness. Let love raise us above the distinctions and differences that divide us. And unite us all in one perfect Being.
