Last Saturday, Vice-President Mike Pence presented an exceptional graduation speech to the Liberty University Class of 2019.
A couple excerpts:
(1)
So, I say, not so much as your Vice President, but as a brother in Christ, if what you’ve seen and heard and learned in this place has also taken hold in your hearts, go from here and live it out, share it, because America needs men and women of integrity and faith now more than ever. It’s true.
(2)
But my message to all of you in the Class of 2019 is — derives of the moment that we’re living in today. You know, throughout most of American history, it’s been pretty easy to call yourself Christian. It didn’t even occur to people that you might be shunned or ridiculed for defending the teachings of the Bible.
But things are different now. Some of the loudest voices for tolerance today have little tolerance for traditional Christian beliefs. So as you go about your daily life, just be ready. Because you’re going to be asked not just to tolerate things that violate your faith; you’re going to be asked to endorse them. You’re going to be asked to bow down to the idols of the popular culture.
So you need to prepare your minds for action, men and women. You need to show that we can love God and love our neighbor at the same time through words and deeds. And you need to be prepared to meet opposition.
As the founder of this university often said, quote, “No one ever achieved greatness without experiencing opposition.”
So, men and women of Liberty University, Class of 2019, as you strive for greatness, know that you’ll face challenges, you’ll face opposition. But just know this: If, like Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, you end up in the fire, there’ll be another in the fire.
VP Pence's steadfast resolve in the face of intimidation and ridicule reminds me of this...... one of my favorite Abe Lincoln quotes:
"Be sure you put your feet in the right place, then stand firm."
Grace & Peace & Love to you all -
Matt