Following is the transcript from the comments that Head of School, Ron Hoch, made preceding the signing of the Alumni Tree by 8th graders Jeremiah Esteban, Mason Ritchie and Alex Scheidt.
I have not had the privilege of knowing Jeremiah, Mason, and Alex as long as many of you. But I can tell you that I have been quite impressed with them in the short time that I have known them. They have displayed keen intellect, sharp wit, comedic flair, and a genuine love for others. They have proven themselves to be thoughtful, articulate, and hard-working individuals who seek after truth, goodness, and beauty. In these respects they are a wonderful representation of the character and virtue that we seek to cultivate in students at Redeemer Classical School. For this, we are immensely proud of them and thank the Lord for the work that he has done in their lives up to this point. And we pray that he will continue to work in their lives and bring it unto completion in the day of the Lord Jesus Christ (Phil. 1:6).
Gentlemen, as you move on from Redeemer, I encourage you to take some time to reflect on the many lessons that you have learned here. In Luke 12:48 Jesus declares, “Everyone to whom much was given, of him much will be required, and from him to whom they entrusted much, they will demand the more.” You, gentlemen, have been given much, and so much will be required of you.
You have been the beneficiaries of a top-notch education that is unrivaled in our region. You have gained a foundation of knowledge that far exceeds what is considered standard fare today for both its breadth and depth. You have been trained to use formal logic to sharpen your thinking to a point that many people today desperately need, but, unfortunately, do not have. And you have been taught how to communicate your ideas with a level of precision and clarity that most of us in this room would find enviable.
Furthermore, you have had the privilege of studying the Bible rigorously as part of your regular academic pursuits, an opportunity that many in our world can only dream about. Finally, you have explored and contemplated the virtues of truth, goodness, and beauty to an extent that is uncommon today for most adults, let alone for people of your age.
And you have received all of this at the hands of some of the most caring and talented educators in the world — educators who are not merely knowledgeable in content and skilled in pedagogy, but who themselves embody the very virtues that we have sought to instill in you. Because of this, they have provided for you — day in and day out — a living curriculum that shows you what it looks like and sounds like to be both wise and virtuous. You may not recognize this now, but I assure you, that is exceedingly rare today.
Yes, you have been given a great gift in the form of a Redeemer education, and as we read in Luke 12, with this great gift comes a great responsibility. I urge you to take that responsibility seriously. Use what you have learned at Redeemer to make your respective corners of the world a better place for all by promoting and, when necessary, defending truth, goodness, and beauty.
Never stop learning.
Do not settle for the status quo, but always seek the better way.
Always be kind, compassionate, and loving to others.
Care for the creation.
And serve the living God with every ounce of strength and every fiber of your being.
As the Apostle Paul exhorted Timothy, so I exhort you: “Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity.” (1 Tim. 4:12)
You will not be perfect in this endeavor. You will make many mistakes along the way. But if you seek virtue and wisdom your whole life through, you will find them. You will be successful. Perhaps not in the way that the world measures success, but in the way of true and lasting success. And we can hope nothing greater for you.