畢業(yè)典禮上的演講丨啟培菲爾德學校常務副校長John Liu：抱“因真理、得自由、以服務”宗旨，砥礪前

畢業(yè)典禮上的演講丨啟培菲爾德學校常務副校長John Liu：抱“因真理、得自由、以服務”宗旨，砥礪前行

領導們、同事們、家長們、同學們、2019畢業(yè)生們：

大家好!2019屆的畢業(yè)生們祝賀你們!

每年的畢業(yè)典禮總是熱點，政要、富商、明星紛紛登場，或煽情、或勵志?？墒牵裉旌苓z憾，你們卻要來聽我講，因為你們的畢業(yè)文憑上中間的簽字是我的。

那么，我跟你們講些什么呢?告訴你們這還真的讓我為難了好久。因為你們是我們“啟培菲爾德學?！痹谥袊膶W生，作為我們學校國際教育的總負責人，我是你們的校長。所以我，也常常要求我的同事，經(jīng)常為你們禱告。特別是在確定你們可以畢業(yè)以后，我常常按手在你們的名字為你們祝福，為你們祈求。要說的都說了，以致學校決定要我來跟你們講話后，我真是為難。那現(xiàn)在我就跟你們講講“抱‘因真理、得自由、以服務’宗旨，砥礪前行”吧。

今天應該是特別用來“感恩”的日子，多向的、交叉的“感恩”(學校、老師、家長、學生)。

2019屆的畢業(yè)生們，你們準備好了嗎?當然!準備了什么?

上大學的目的?“抱‘因真理、得自由、以服務’宗旨，砥礪前行”?

西方最著名的教育家之一，約翰·亨利·紐曼樞機曾經(jīng)這樣說："若大學課程一定要有一個實際的目的，我認為就是為了培養(yǎng)良好的社會公民……這種教育能給人以對自己的觀點與判斷的真理，給人以倡導這種觀點與判斷的力量。它教他客觀地對待事物，教他開門見山直奔要害，教他理清混亂的思想，教他弄清復雜的而摒棄無關的。"

美國的教育特別是大學教育：有三個C---CRITICAL、CREATIVE、CITIZEN。

CRITICAL/CRITICAL THINKING：1941年哈佛大學教授愛德華(Edward Maynard Glaser)首先提出了這個概念，他聲明【批判性思維】必須具備三個特質：1.傾向以審慎的態(tài)度思慮議題和解決難題;2.對理性探索與邏輯推理的方法有所認識;3.有技巧地應用上述的方法。

CREATIVE：involving the use of skill and the imagination to produce something new or a work of art. (牛津詞典)

CITIZEN：a person who has the legal right to belong to a particular country. (牛津詞典)是相對于“奴隸的”、“奴性的”而言的，“有擔當?shù)?、有責任的”?/span>

陳寅恪先生言：大學培養(yǎng)的人才應該具有“獨立之精神，自由之思想”，支撐每個青年作出判斷選擇的，應是積極的人生觀和批判性思維。

我把這些歸納為上大學的目的：“因真理、得自由、以服務”。(根據(jù)美國1828年版《韋博斯特大辭典》)

真理：Conformity to fact or reality; exact accordance with that which is, or has been, or shall be. The truth of history constitutes its whole value. We rely on the truth of the scriptural prophecies.

自由：A state of exemption from the power or control of another; liberty; exemption from slavery, servitude or confinement. freedom is personal, civil, political, and religious. [See Liberty.]

服務：[From Latin servitium.] 1. In a general sense, labor of body or of body and mind, performed at the command of a superior, or the pursuance of duty, or for the benefit of another. service is voluntary or involuntary. Voluntary service is that of hired servants, or of contract, or of persons who spontaneously perform something for another's benefit. Involuntaryservice is that of slaves, who work by compulsion. 就是有擔當，是愛的完美表達。

如何服務呢?首先你們要“認識并帶領你的時代”。今天你們要畢業(yè)了，我送你們錢穆先生的一番話“認識你的時代，帶領你的時代”?！澳銈円粋€人怎么樣做人，怎么樣做學問，怎么做事業(yè)，我認為應該有一個共同的基本條件，就是我們一定先要認識我們的時代。我們生在今天這個時代，我們就應該在今天的時代中來做人、做學問、做事業(yè)。”每一個時代應該有它一個理想，由一批理想所需要的人物，來研究理想所需要的學術，干出理想所需要的事業(yè)，來領導此社會，此社會才能有進步?！蔽覀冞@個時代的理想就是“實現(xiàn)偉大的復興夢”。你們有幸生于這樣一個偉大的時代，參與這“復習夢”的洪流中去創(chuàng)造輝煌。

這是一個怎樣的時代?

這是一個個人主義抬頭的時代：個人利益凌駕于群體福祉，個人意見往往成為唯一能接受的意見。但海納百川，有容乃大。我們不應只顧自己的利益，不要過于自以為是，而要學會多聽別人意見，考慮各方看法，協(xié)力實現(xiàn)夢想。

這是一個資訊爆炸、是非難辨的時代：每日在網(wǎng)上流傳的資訊，媒體發(fā)放的消息，為我們帶來不少沖擊。但事情往往不是表面看來那么簡單，是非黑白往往需要仔細分析，深入了解。大學教育的目的，是培養(yǎng)獨立思考。

這是一個利益在前，道德在后的時代：金錢、地位、權力，已經(jīng)成為世人追逐的唯一之物，道德和價值觀的培育，卻漸漸被人遺忘。壁立千仞，無欲則剛。但愿你們不要讓利益掩蓋良心，以厚德載物自許。我們所追求的，理應是較名與利更能持久的東西。我盼望2019屆畢業(yè)生能虛懷若谷，以遠大眼光，包容態(tài)度進入大學，將來帶領我們的時代。

也許大家覺得，我講到這里就可以結束了，對不起，你們還有忍受我一兩分鐘。

“砥礪前行”：砥礪，拼音dǐlì，是一個漢語詞語，砥指細膩的磨刀石，礪指粗糙的磨刀石。砥礪合指磨刀石，也指磨煉、鍛煉，用來表示革命意志，也可以表示相互之間勉勵。詞語出自《山海經(jīng)·西山經(jīng)》。我的理解是：迎接困難、挑戰(zhàn)失敗、堅韌不拔、勇往向前!

你們從這里出發(fā)，少年意氣，孩子們，父母們，你們準備好了被困難包圍，被失敗打倒嗎?人在順風順水的時候，你往往看不出他的差別。只有遇到挫敗時，才能看出人的偉大。這就是我們?yōu)樯杜宸?原)紅塔山董事長褚時健的原因，他在四個行當都有挫敗，但是他最后都站起來了，而且站得很高很高。

我初到美國不久去學了柔道，第一課就是學會摔倒之后不受傷，你首先必須不斷被人打敗，然后你會滾翻、用特定姿勢確保你倒下之后，傷不了你。這是最重要的一課。

孩子們，失敗之后不受傷，在失敗后看還能看到光明、保持信念、繼續(xù)努力。這就叫做“砥礪前行”!

2019的孩子們，我祈禱你們都有美好的人生，幸福的生活。我更愿看見你們 “以民族、國家、世界為己任” ，孜孜不倦地去共建一個 “更美好的世界” ，“抱 ‘因真理、得自由、以服務’宗旨，砥礪前行”

所以，2019屆的畢業(yè)生，這就是我給你們的最后一課，主題就是：“抱‘因真理、得自由、以服務’宗旨，砥礪前行”。愿你們以夢為馬，不負韶華，歸來仍是少年。

謝謝大家，愿上帝祝福你們!

Dear all teachers, parents and students, and 2019 graduates,

Good morning to all of you. And big congratulations to our 2019 graduates,

Often time, we see a lot of gradation speeches on media from the end of April to early July every year. People pay a lot attention to the speaker of the graduation ceremony. Schools often time invite famous people to give touching or encouraging speeches. Today, you will hear a speech from me who is the person to sign your graduation certificate.

I had difficulty considering what to tell you in my speech. You are students from Chapel Field High School. The only difference is that you live in China. As the Director of International Education for Chapel Field, I am your Principal. I pray for you, which is also my request for our colleagues. Especially after confirming that you are qualified to graduate, I often pray with my hands on your name for blessing. It was hard for me to make this speech. Now, I would like to talk with you with a topic: Moving forward with the tenet: For Truth, gain freedom, to serve.

Today should be a thankful day. We have schools, teachers, parents and students. We all should feel thankful to each other.

For our 2019 graduates, are you ready? Sure, ready for what? The reason for college study? Moving forward with the tenet: For Truth, gain freedom, to serve?

John Henry Newman, a famous western educator, said：If the university curriculum must have a practical purpose, I think it is to cultivate good social citizens... This kind of education can give people the truth of their own opinions and judgments, and give people the power to advocate such views and judgments. It teaches them to treat things objectively, to go straight to the point, to sort out chaotic thoughts, to understand complexities, and to reject irrelevant matters.

American Education, especially college education, has three Cs: Critical, Creative, Citizen.

CRITICAL/CRITICAL THINKING, A professor from Harvard University, named Edward Maynard Glaser first mentioned this concept. He claimed that Critical Thinking must have three aspects: 1. Careful attitude towards questions and solutions. 2. Knowledge of the methods for Rational Exploration and Logic Reasoning. 3. Skillful application of the above methods.

CREATIVE：involving the use of skills and imagination to produce something new or a work of art. (Oxford Dictionary)

CITIZEN：a person who has the legal right to belong to a particular country. (Oxford Dictionary), opposite to“slavish”、“servile”

A Chinese educator,Tschen Yin, said: The talents cultivated in universities should have “the spirit of independence, the idea of freedom”, and it should be a positive outlook on life and critical thinking to support every youth in making judgment choices.

I summarized all these together as the reasons for college education: "For Truth, gain freedom, to serve"

? Truth：Conformity to fact or reality; exact accordance with that which is, or has been, or shall be. The truth of history constitutes its whole value. We rely on the truth of the scriptural prophecies. (1828 Edition Webb West dictionary )

? Freedom：A state of exemption from the power or control of another; liberty; exemption from slavery, servitude or confinement. freedom is personal, civil, political, and religious. [See Liberty.]

? Serve：[From Latin servitium.] 1. In a general sense, labor of body or of body and mind, performed at the command of a superior, or the pursuance of duty, or for the benefit ofanother. service is voluntary or involuntary. Voluntary service is that of hired servants, or of contract, or of persons who spontaneously perform something for another's benefit. Involuntary service is that of slaves, who work by compulsion. That is to have the responsibility, to express love in a full way.

How to serve? First of all, you must "know and lead your era." Today, you are graduating. I’d like to send you Mr. Qian Mu's words "know your time and lead your time."“How to be a qualified person, how do you learn, and how to achieve your career. I believe there should be a basic condition, that is, we must understand our time first. We are born in today’s era and we should be today’s people, keep learning and try to achieve our career in this ages.” Each era should have its ideals, certain groups of people are needed by the ideals, to figure out what do we need for the ideals, and to shoulder the responsibility of leading the society. Thus, our society may make progress. Today, our target of this era to fulfill thedream of the great renewal of the Chinese nation.

What kind of era is this?

This is an era of individualism: we put personal interests above group welfare, personal opinions tend to be the only acceptable one.But all rivers run into sea, its greatness contains everything, there is plenty to be had.We should not only focus on our own interests and be supercilious, but learn to listen to others' opinions more, consider the views of all parties, and working together to realize our dreams.

This is an era of information explosion and hard to distinguish right from wrong. Information from the Internet daily, from social media, they all bring us so many impacts.But things are not always superficial, stop defining yourself by what you see — or what you think you see. You need to think it critically.The purpose of collage education is to cultivate independent thinking.

This is an era of interests come before morality: Wealth, status and authority become the only things people pursue. But the cultivation of morality and value, they were gradually pale into insignificant.

Thousand cliffs all stand here,it's firm without any desire. Only when profits cannot obscure your eyes anymore, you then can stand at the peak. I sincerely hope you will not let desires cover your conscience and allow yourself to be worthy. Meanwhile, please always remember, a virtuous man could bear everything. What we really should pursue, ought to be something more lasting rather than fame and profit. I expect, all the 2019 graduates, could be very modest, integrate yourself intocollegeswith open-mind, then lead the world. My children, I pray you all have a beautiful and blissful life. And I'd rather see you shoulder the responsibility of making your nation, your country, even the whole world a better place. With the aim of "believe in truth, get freedom, to serve", we forge ahead.

You might think I’m going to end here, but sorry, please allow me two more minutes.

Forge aheadtowards all kinds of difficulties. This comes from a Chinese idiom. (砥礪前行) Di Li is a Chinese word, it refers to 2 kinds of Sharpening Stones, which means to temper oneself. It could be used to express revolutionary will, also, it refers to show encouragement between each other. This word comes from Mountains-Seas Book. My understanding towards this word is face difficulties, challenge failures, be gritty and forge ahead! Your journey starts now, from here where you are standing. My dear students, please be energetic and fearless; dear parents, are you ready to be surrounded by difficulties and defeated by failures?

You can't tell the difference when everything is well. The greatness of a man can only be seen in defeats. This is the reason we admire Mr Chu Shijian who is the former President of HongtashanCigarets Group. He failed his business, but eventually, he stood up, stands on the top of mountain in the end.

When I firstly arrived in America, I learnt Judo. The very first lesson is how to avoid being hurt after a fall. You have to be defeated constantly, Afterwards, you will learn roll over or use certain positions to avoid being injured. It is also a momentous lesson.

My dear kids, make sure you don’t get hurt after failure, still see brightness after failure, have faith and keeping trying. This is called forge ahead! So, My dear graduates, this is my final lesson for you. The theme is: With the aim of "believe in truth, get freedom, to serve", we forge ahead!

Thanks for listening, may God bless you all!