It is that time of year again when I have to farewell another group of Year 12 students going out into the world. It never gets easier. In fact it gets harder. This made me think, why is becoming more difficult to say good-bye?
One reason maybe my age. I have now encountered many of the pains, frustrations and sorrows that life can throw at us and I know that these enthusiastic students will encounter them too – possibly worse – a lot worse.
However, I think it has more to do with my unease with our culture and the changes I have witnessed over the last 60 odd years. Not all the changes have been bad. The improved status of women and the greater openness about sexual assault are just two areas where we have learned somewhat. Yet the decline of Christianity in Western countries, the even greater commodification of sex, the loss of childhood and innocence, and the decline(in my view) of idealism are just some of the concerns I have.
They are some of the reasons for my “dis -ease”. But there are positives to this. It is becoming harder for Christians to sit on the fence and be nominal. To live a life of faith is requiring a greater sense of radical lifestyle. This in turn will mean that there will be more opportunities to make a difference.
So once again, I wish my students God’s richest blessing and urge them to hold on to Christ with a God inspired passion.
