Sing a song about God’s faithfulness

On the morning of Friday, May 10, the students of the class of 2024 walked onto the stage of the BJ Haan Auditorium, shook my hand, and received their diplomas.

The class included students such as Jocelyn Zonnefeld of Sioux Center, who is pursuing a doctorate in mathematics at Tufts University in Massachusetts, Emma Groen of Des Moines, who will work as a nurse in the greater Des Moines area, and Eoghan Holdahl of Watertown, South Dakota, who is working for Samaritan’s Purse in West Africa.

The awarding of the diploma to graduates is an enriching experience; it represents a visible expression of the countless hours of hard work that the students have invested in earning their degree.

As I stood on stage, I thought about another enriching experience I had this year: A group of seniors asked me if I wanted to come to Square Inch Apartments for coffee. “We’re graduating soon and we’d like to ask you a few questions,” they said.

I stopped by Square 9—as did about a dozen students. Not only did they enjoy the homemade apple crisp and the camaraderie, but they asked me all sorts of questions, ranging from what Dr. Barb and I have learned in our 35+ years of marriage, to how I incorporate prayer into my life, and what some of my most memorable professional moments are. When I mentioned how important singing hymns was to my faith formation, they asked me if I would come back later in the week to sing hymns in the evening with more friends. I immediately agreed.

In hymn singing, I spent about 75 minutes with over 24 students singing some of the great hymns of the Christian faith. Those who know me well know that I love singing hymns; there is so much depth in the sung theology of our faith.

It was an honor to be asked so many profound questions by Dordt’s graduating class of 2024; it was even more heartwarming to stand shoulder to shoulder with them and sing some of our favorite hymns.

These moments in Squares 9 were in many ways the embodiment of our institutional vision: “that all classroom work, all intellectual, emotional, and imaginative activities of students should be permeated by the spirit and teachings of Christianity.” Through their hospitality—the space they created and the conversations they had—these Dordt students showed me that during their four years at Dordt, they had grown in wisdom and knowledge of the Word while recognizing the Lordship of Christ in all things.

Saying goodbye is always difficult. Our campus community will miss the Class of 2024 and the way they shaped our institution. But I look forward to seeing our graduates continue to be “imbued with the spirit and teachings of Christianity” — as alumni — and as churchgoers, coworkers, parents, supervisors, and in the many other roles they will have in the future.

May they continue to sing a song of God’s faithfulness in their lives as He directs their paths.

Dr. Erik Hoekstra, President of Dordt University