Headmaster's Challenge to the Graduates!

One of my favorite quotes is one that I saw on a poster long ago. It was a picture of a magnificent sailing ship lying at anchor in a calm harbor, and the caption read: “A ship in a harbor is safe, but that is not what ships are made for.” I believe this is a timely word for you. Up until now you have spent your life in a harbor while parents, pastors, teachers, and coaches have been busy outfitting you with the necessary rigging and with stores of knowledge and skills - all in preparation for the time when you would leave the harbor. And now that time has come.

However, while leaving the harbor is inevitable, what still remains to be decided is what kind of a ship you will be – and that choice is yours alone to make. I ask you to consider three ships that have already sailed before you.

The first is The Golden Hind, one of the most famous ships in British naval history. Commanded by Francis Drake, it left the safety of its harbor in 1566 to go where no English ship had gone before in a quest for knowledge and adventure. Its mission was to discover the Straits of Magellan for England and then to find the legendary Northwest Passage across the North American continent. The Golden Hind succeeded in rounding the tip of South America but, of course, failed to find the non-existent Northwest Passage. Not to be deterred, she instead continued to sail west until she became the first English ship to circumnavigate the globe – a voyage that took 3 years and resulted in Queen Elizabeth coming on board to reward Drake with a knighthood.

The second ship is one you are more familiar with – the Mayflower, which left the safety of its harbor in 1620 to transport 102 people to the new world so they could bring the light of Christ to another hemisphere.

What’s remarkable about the Golden Hind and the Mayflower is how unpretentious and undersized they seemed for their tasks. Each was just a little longer than the width of this sanctuary, yet they made significant contributions to human progress and to God’s kingdom.

The last ship I want you to consider is still sailing. The Ecstacy is one of the Fun Ships of the Carnival Cruise Line. Ironically, it is almost as long as three football fields and is capable of safely sailing anywhere in the world, but chooses never to sail in deep water and only leaves the harbor for a few days at a time and with only one goal – to have fun.

Today, you can visit replicas of the Golden Hind and the Mayflower. Visitors who walk their decks can’t help but be impressed with the accomplishments of the Golden Hind and be inspired by the vision of the Mayflower. People who walk the decks of the Ecstacy aren’t impressed or inspired, just amused.

Although the Golden Hind and Mayflower ended their sailing days 400 years ago, their honor increases with the passing of time. When the Ecstasy finally becomes too costly to maintain, she will be sold for scrap, and no one will care. She will fade from memory when the last ashtray or cocktail glass is sold at a garage sale.

It is my hope, and hope of all your teachers, that we have equipped you with the knowledge and the skills for you to set a worthy course for your life. One day, many years from now, you will sail into the harbor for the last time – and future generations will judge you. For your sake, for the sake of God’s kingdom, and for the sake of all the people you meet on your voyage, be a ship that will impress and inspire humanity long after your anchor has permanently settled in the sand. The choice is yours, and it needs to be made now.

May God’s Spirit always fill your sails, and may you remember that you are always welcome to find shelter from the storms at PCCA.