Commencement address at Concordia University Wisconsin in Mequon, Wisconsin

Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents, May 24, 2004

May 14, 2004

Thank you all very much. Dr. Ferry, members of the faculty, trustees, and families, distinguished guests, most importantly, members of the Class of 2004, I appreciate the warm welcome to this fine university and to this great State. Thank you for such a wonderful welcome. I am honored to be with you on graduation day as you become proud alumni of CUW.

I thank you as well for the honorary degree. I kind of like the sound, "Dr. Bush." [Laughter] I don't think Laura is going to call me that. [Laughter]

My congratulations to my fellow honorees today, especially General Vessey, a fine officer who served our country with distinction and honor.

I'm here today with one of your alumni, Class of 2000. He can't rise for applause because he's working. But I want his parents to know he's doing a really fine job. And everyone at Concordia can be very proud of Officer Scott Eichstaedt of the United States Secret Service.

I am told that when the name of your commencement speaker was announced on April the 1st--[laughter]--a lot of students thought it might be an April Fool's Day joke. [Laughter] And some of you may still have doubts. I saw a person when I walked in, said, "Is it him, or is it the guy on "Saturday Night Live'?" [Laughter]

All of you have worked hard and have come far, and you can always be proud of the achievement we mark today. Through it all, you've had a lot of fine people standing with you. This graduating class is a credit to the superb and caring teachers at Concordia. And today we also honor the people who believed in you and prayed for you and paid for you--[laughter]--the parents of the Class of 2004.

Many of today's graduates are on your way to full-time ministry, and that commitment is one of the greatest that a man or woman can make. All of the graduates leave Concordia with a commission and a calling. In the Lutheran tradition, all work in an office, on a farm, in the home, or in the halls of government, should be done in the glory of God. And that is accomplished by doing our work with excellence and care and an awareness of the needs around us.

We find our examples in great lives. Important work in this world can be done by towering figures like Martin Luther, who changed history and your own lives with an act of conscience. Work of lasting value can also be done by a solitary soul, condemned and stripped of all power, like Dietrich Bonhoeffer. Every life holds the possibility of serving God. And in every great life, that possibility is realized in service. After all, Bonhoeffer said, "The Church is the Church only when it exists for others."

This teaching of faith is confirmed in our daily experience. Many of us find that there is much more to life than getting and keeping. True fulfillment comes with the responsibilities we assume, to care for our families and to love a neighbor as we want to be loved ourselves. This is more than a familiar saying; it is the foundation of a meaningful life.

A person shows his or her character in kindness and charity, and what is true in our lives is also true in the life of our Nation. You can fairly judge the character of society by how it treats the weak, the vulnerable, the most easily forgotten. Our own country, at its best, strives to be compassionate, and this isn't easy. Compassion is not merely a vague feeling of empathy; it is a demanding virtue. It involves action and effort and deep conviction, a conviction as old as Scripture and present at the founding of our country. We believe that everyone has a place and a purpose in this world, that every life matters, that no insignificant person was ever born.

America rejects the ethic of sink or swim. America rejects social Darwinism, because strength is not the same as worth. Our greatest failures as a nation have come when we lost sight of our compassionate ideals in slavery, in segregation, and in every wrong that has denied the value and dignity of life. Our greatest strength as a nation is that we bravely face our flaws and do our best to make things right. Our greatest successes as a nation have come when we broadened the circle of protection and inclusion, and this work is not finished. We will press on until every person shares in the promise of our country.

The mission statement of this university directs each of you towards a life of service to the church and to the world. It's not my place to tell you how best to serve the church, but I do have a few thoughts about how you can make your mark in the world. Wherever you are headed, I urge you to do the work nearest you and help to build a more compassionate society.

First, America needs your efforts and energy in the fight against poverty and despair. A compassionate society does not look away from a man being dragged down by addiction or a mother being abandoned by the father of the child or boys and gifts with no role models in life who wonder if anyone cares about them. These personal tragedies are often failures of love, and they must be answered with love and caring and kindness. Government can play many important roles, but it cannot take someone's hand and be their friend. You have that power. If you follow this calling, you can help transform our society, one heart, one soul at a time.