• Daystar University
• 10 Nov, 2023

I compliment each of you on this 46th graduation of Daystar University. On behalf of all you identify with, I applaud and celebrate your well-earned achievement that has indeed prepared and positioned you for what is next in your journey.

This far you have been students, pursuing what has been a set path, with expectations on you and pre-determined outcomes if you perform. For many of you, your social and emotional well -being has been safeguarded by parents, guardians and peers. Your goal to get this academic achievement has honed your attention and focus and has protected you in this world.

What lies ahead of you, your adult and career life, will not be determined by an institution nor governed strictly by parental guidance. As you graduate today, you state publicly before this crowd of witnesses, that you have come of age to be entrusted with the responsibility of your life and its impact in the space you will be assigned.

This is remarkable and it calls on you to consciously embrace the moment and with a sober mind and a calm spirit, associate this graduation as the day you were launched into your next phase. The African traditions had their ways of initiating people into manhood, womanhood or other phases of life. This is your day of being initiated into your next phase.

You have worked hard, stayed patient and tenacious, allowed your mind and character to develop, and the skills

you have learned have prepared you to become responsible adults unleashed for impact.

The word of God remains true, unchanging and therefore a firm foundation to stand on in every situation. How else can you walk in places you have not trodden before or see the path ahead as you advance to set goals? As you base your convictions and decisions on the truth provided by the word of God, you will not miss the good plan that God has for your life. As you lean on the wisdom given by the counsel of his word, you can be strong and courageous to navigate all that you will step into. Under that guidance, I can assure you prosperity and good success. Your hope is not based on fleeting possibilities but on the One who has prepared you to take your place as you allow him to lead you.

The world has never been more uncertain. We have artificial intelligence, with all its pros and cons, that is influencing every segment of life at a very fast pace. Coupled with that are all the genetically engineered changes of our day. The norms we knew have shifted and continue to shift. Even our identities are in danger of being redefined, and the whole field of sexual identity is in a state of disarray that my generation never imagined. What was known and being done one way now has shifted, options are being presented and truth has become relative and to an extent subject to what you determine. This is the world you are being launched into.

It is therefore key and profoundly important to know who you are and what defines you, lest you become corrupted, swayed and captured by what looks appealing and even exciting but is not necessarily true. Do not allow the world to steal, kill or destroy the moral and authentic person you are, and what your past has built into you. As you graduate today, promise and covenant with yourself that you have been well prepared, that you will build on this foundation to the full height of your purpose, and that you will not only have impact but leave a legacy that others can continue to reference and inherit.

How can this be possible? Your legacy becomes a legacy of light as you allow God to govern your life. Your legacy is woven into your God-given purpose, one day at a time, one step and one stage at a time. You will walk in confident peace and not allow what surrounds you to ruffle your feathers, cause you sorrow or anxiety. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them (Eph. 2:10).

As I say this to you, I say it to myself and indeed it is the word for all of us today. It is what I bequeath to you as your chancellor, as I confer your degrees and award you diplomas and certificates. May the Lord cause you to fulfill the good works he has in store for you. May you walk in them and may they define your purpose and your legacy in this life.

This is a very significant milestone. Congratulations and may God bless you