Graduation and the Journey of Faith

Since it’s graduation season, I wanted to reflect a bit on graduation as a metaphor in our spiritual lives.  Is there a spiritual parallel to graduation in our faith journey?  For many years the church has offered rites of passage that are equated with graduation.  In our tradition it is a profession of faith.  Historically, this was something a person did when they graduated from high school and finished up catechism class.  In other Christian expressions baptism or confirmation serve in this role.  It is a rite of passage that indicates moving into a more mature phase of life and faith.

However, the spiritual journey is not as linear as the educational path.  In school, we accumulate knowledge.  In faith, there are times when we feel like we’ve lost spiritual maturity.  In school there is a set curriculum with clear objectives and benchmarks.  In faith, individuals learn at different rates.  There is no set order for growth.  Instead, we just keep walking the path as the Spirit leads us.  The true graduation happens at the very end when we enter into God’s glory.  Most of us aren’t in a hurry for that final graduation.  Until then, God will continue to teach us.  Through every failure and success, every joy and sorrow, in quandary and clarity God is revealing himself.  We live.  We learn.