To the graduating class of 2026, there is no group of highly intelligent, energizer bunny, vigorous, and infectiously joyful people that I would rather cross the finish line with. We made it! Congratulations. 

It has been said that it takes a village to raise a child. But I think it’s also true that it takes a village to make a Regent graduate. So, I want to acknowledge the presence of our family and friends, whether you are here in person or online, who have set aside time to celebrate this momentous occasion with us. The Regent experience has also touched the ones closest to us, and they too have grown alongside us at Regent. I think of Makio missing family dinners with his wife and two children while he stayed back on campus to finish his thesis, moving from the Regent library after it closed for the day to one of the UBC libraries. And while he wrote his thesis, his children prayed for daddy. On behalf of the graduating class, thank you to our family and friends for graciously and sacrificially standing in the gap for us. As each person walks across the stage today, we also celebrate you.

As I reflected on our time here at Regent, the picture that came to mind was the jars of clay in 2 Corinthians 4:7 where it says: “But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.” Before I carry on, I need to add a disclaimer, especially in the presence of my esteemed Biblical Studies professors seated here on stage. Dr. Guthrie, I have read your commentary on 2 Corinthians, but I will be using some creative license in my reflection so keep calm and, as they say, trust the process.

When I think of jars of clay, I think of the potter forming and shaping lumps of clay, much like the process of formation that we have undergone during our time here at Regent, whether it was over one semester or ten. Regent College is like one of God’s many pottery studios where people are formed and readied as vessels for God’s service. 

Like clay pulled and shaped by the potter, our formation took place in the classroom as we expanded our minds and imagination, learning from our professors, from each other, and from the many, many pages of readings. We spent hours, and shed some tears, learning Hebrew and Greek so that we can read and interpret the Scriptures well. We wrestled with deep theological questions like, “Why is God silent in the midst of evil and suffering?” and “What makes us human as the world embraces AI?” More often than not, we came away with more questions than answers. Perhaps that’s what a theological education is for.

I recently came across this phrase: “capacity for complexity”. It’s the ability to process and respond to uncertainty and ambiguity. We will soon re-enter a world that has become more fractured and complex than ever before. And as we have learned to sit with unanswered questions, may we grow our capacity to hold the complexities of life as we seek to bring God’s truth to a world in need of Christ with love and grace.

We were also formed in the rich tapestry that is the Regent community. Strangers from all corners of the world became friends as we savoured the uniqueness of each other’s cultures through food at Taste of the World—my favourite Regent event—and strengthened our unity as the people of God in worship at chapel. We learned to be hospitable to one another, extending generosity by listening well in deep, long conversations. And we became each other’s cheerleaders and Agony Aunts, bonding over celebrations for a job well done, or grieving together through loss and failure.

There were many times when we were confronted by the frailty of our minds and bodies, wondering if anything good could come out of us. But 2 Corinthians 4:7 reminds us that God chose to entrust the treasure of God’s glory to fragile, breakable clay pots like us. Our treasure is not the diploma or degree we will hold in our hands in a few moments, but of having our eyes opened to the glory of who God is, how God is moving in this world, and how we are being called into God’s mission. And it is God who will enable us to faithfully steward this treasure.

So, my dear friends, as we move on from Regent College, whether to raise a growing family or to start one; to enter the marketplace, ministry, or more study; or to continue trusting in our heavenly Father’s good provision and timing, may we surrender ourselves to the hands of God the Master Potter, relying on the power of the Holy Spirit dwelling in us to live out the abundant life Jesus is calling us into. 

And it is only right and fitting that we offer our praise and worship to God with these words from Jude 24 and 25: "To him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy—to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen."