{"id":58973,"date":"2025-05-08T12:28:31","date_gmt":"2025-05-08T16:28:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/?p=58973"},"modified":"2025-05-08T12:51:02","modified_gmt":"2025-05-08T16:51:02","slug":"commencement-speaker-calls-on-graduates-to-pursue-justice-mercy-and-humility-beyond-emu","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/2025\/commencement-speaker-calls-on-graduates-to-pursue-justice-mercy-and-humility-beyond-emu\/","title":{"rendered":"Commencement speaker calls on graduates to pursue justice, mercy, and humility beyond EMU"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>The <strong>Rev. Dr. Lesley Francisco McClendon, <\/strong>senior pastor of C3 Hampton and adjunct instructor at Eastern Mennonite Seminary, delivered the Commencement address on Sunday, May 4. Speaking to the 316 graduates of the Class of 2025, she encouraged them to live into the instruction of Micah 6:8, the guiding verse foundational to EMU\u2019s mission: \u201cWhat does the Lord require of you, but to do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with your God?\u201d As they leave campus, McClendon urged graduates to carry that call into a lifelong journey of discovery in the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>McClendon also serves as a member of the Mennonite Church USA Executive Board and as an instructor at Duke Divinity School. She is the founder of Herstoric Inc., a nonprofit organization committed to empowering leaders of all backgrounds to discover their voice, lead with confidence, and leave a lasting impact. She holds a doctor of ministry from Duke University, a master of divinity from Regent University, and a bachelor of arts from Oral Roberts University.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The world doesn\u2019t need perfect people, she told the graduates, but rather it needs present people\u2014those who show up, who listen, and who aren\u2019t afraid to be the light in heavy places. She encouraged them to hold fast to their faith and values amid challenges. \u201cYou\u2019ll walk into rooms where your faith is questioned, where your values are challenged, and your leadership is needed, but don\u2019t shrink,\u201d she said. \u201cRemember, you\u2019ve been shaped for this moment: not just to succeed, but to serve; not just to rise, but to reach; not just to lead, but to love.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/emu-wordpress-multisite-instance-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2025\/05\/07234842\/54501789101_af28a53a66_h-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-58979\" style=\"width:550px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/emu-wordpress-multisite-instance-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2025\/05\/07234842\/54501789101_af28a53a66_h-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/emu-wordpress-multisite-instance-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2025\/05\/07234842\/54501789101_af28a53a66_h-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/emu-wordpress-multisite-instance-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2025\/05\/07234842\/54501789101_af28a53a66_h-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/emu-wordpress-multisite-instance-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2025\/05\/07234842\/54501789101_af28a53a66_h-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/emu-wordpress-multisite-instance-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2025\/05\/07234842\/54501789101_af28a53a66_h.jpg 1600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>The graduates are stepping into a world that is both exciting and unpredictable, McClendon said. Technological advancements are reshaping daily life, global connections are bridging diverse cultures, and societal challenges prompt urgent calls for justice and compassion. In navigating this complex and ever-changing landscape, she pointed to the timeless wisdom of Micah 6:8. \u201cIt offers a compass,\u201d she said, \u201ca way to orient ourselves amid uncertainty.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Unpacking the \u201cprofound simplicity\u201d of the scripture, she explained that <em>acting justly<\/em> means making the conscious decision to stand up for what is right, even when it\u2019s difficult; that <em>loving mercy<\/em> involves extending grace, understanding, and kindness, even when it\u2019s undeserved; and that <em>walking humbly with God <\/em>means seeking guidance beyond our own understanding and recognizing that our talents and achievements are gifts to be used for a higher purpose.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>She called on graduates to embody the Anabaptist and Mennonite values of simplicity, community, peace, service, and justice. \u201cSo I charge you: act justly, even when it\u2019s inconvenient; love mercy, even when it\u2019s not returned; and walk humbly, even when the world tells you to flex,\u201d McClendon said. \u201cBuild bridges, lift voices, stay rooted, stay teachable, stay bold. Let Micah 6:8 be not just a memory verse, but a mission.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThe world doesn\u2019t just need more professionals, it needs more compassionate, just, and humble leaders. And I have no doubt that\u2019s exactly who you are,\u201d she continued. \u201cYou are ambassadors of hope, agents of change, and bearers of light in a world that desperately needs it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed aligncenter is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"2025 Commencement\" width=\"848\" height=\"477\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/DmS1Lg5tJ-I?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:10px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\" \/>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center has-medium-font-size\"><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/100064505481860\/videos\/1222849742894957\">Watch a recording of the ceremony here.<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\" \/>\n\n\n\n<p>Undergraduates <strong>Jason Dwyer <\/strong>and <strong>Adesola Johnson<\/strong> and MA graduate <strong>Getachew Temare <\/strong>presented the graduate perspectives.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/emu-wordpress-multisite-instance-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2025\/05\/07234424\/54502057018_e9077a1485_h-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-58974\" style=\"width:650px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/emu-wordpress-multisite-instance-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2025\/05\/07234424\/54502057018_e9077a1485_h-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/emu-wordpress-multisite-instance-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2025\/05\/07234424\/54502057018_e9077a1485_h-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/emu-wordpress-multisite-instance-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2025\/05\/07234424\/54502057018_e9077a1485_h-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/emu-wordpress-multisite-instance-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2025\/05\/07234424\/54502057018_e9077a1485_h-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/emu-wordpress-multisite-instance-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2025\/05\/07234424\/54502057018_e9077a1485_h.jpg 1600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Dwyer reflected on finding his people, his place, and his home at EMU. Before he left for college, his parents told him that along with earning a degree, he\u2019d also be getting an education in people. At the time, he didn\u2019t understand what they meant. But after four years at EMU, he said \u201cit\u2019s become crystal clear.\u201d \u201cWe\u2019ve learned how to live in shared spaces, how to do laundry for the first time, how to wake up without someone telling us to\u2014at least, some of us have,\u201d he said. \u201cWe\u2019ve had hard conversations with roommates, met deadlines, worked through challenges, interacted with professors and peers, and, most importantly, we\u2019ve learned about ourselves.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The political science and history double major from Fairfax, Virginia, played on the Royals baseball team for four years and said he met \u201cso many incredible people\u201d through his teammates, academic programs, and campus clubs. \u201cWe came in as individuals with different dreams, different hopes, and different stories. But somewhere along the way, in the classrooms, in the dorms, on the field, or in the community, we started becoming more,\u201d Dwyer said. \u201cWe became a class. We came in as individuals, but despite our differences, we are now leaving as one: the Class of 2025.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/emu-wordpress-multisite-instance-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2025\/05\/07234453\/54502150355_1842ffba29_h-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-58975\" style=\"width:650px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/emu-wordpress-multisite-instance-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2025\/05\/07234453\/54502150355_1842ffba29_h-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/emu-wordpress-multisite-instance-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2025\/05\/07234453\/54502150355_1842ffba29_h-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/emu-wordpress-multisite-instance-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2025\/05\/07234453\/54502150355_1842ffba29_h-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/emu-wordpress-multisite-instance-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2025\/05\/07234453\/54502150355_1842ffba29_h-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/emu-wordpress-multisite-instance-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2025\/05\/07234453\/54502150355_1842ffba29_h.jpg 1600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Johnson, a <a href=\"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/2025\/2025-cords-of-distinction-faculty-and-staff-honor-recipients\/\">Cords of Distinction<\/a> recipient, shared her most memorable EMU experience: a research trip to Australia tracking fruit flies. As she arrived at the site, she was overcome with dread when she realized she would have to confront her fear of birds every day for the next five weeks. &#8220;I never knew how debilitating fear could be until that moment,&#8221; she said. &#8220;But I quickly realized that my drive to succeed was much greater than my fear.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For many graduates, she said, commencement day might be filled with anxiety and fear. \u201cHowever, I want you all to know that fear can coexist with your drive, your plans, and your ambitions,\u201d Johnson said. \u201cFear can be your fuel. At a time when many things feel uncertain, remember that your very existence is proof that you can succeed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/emu-wordpress-multisite-instance-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2025\/05\/07234528\/54501788881_97153ff5bc_h-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-58976\" style=\"width:650px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/emu-wordpress-multisite-instance-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2025\/05\/07234528\/54501788881_97153ff5bc_h-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/emu-wordpress-multisite-instance-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2025\/05\/07234528\/54501788881_97153ff5bc_h-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/emu-wordpress-multisite-instance-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2025\/05\/07234528\/54501788881_97153ff5bc_h-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/emu-wordpress-multisite-instance-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2025\/05\/07234528\/54501788881_97153ff5bc_h-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/emu-wordpress-multisite-instance-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2025\/05\/07234528\/54501788881_97153ff5bc_h.jpg 1600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Temare shared his journey as a refugee, then joining EMU through the Summer Peacebuilding Institute in 2023, and ultimately earning a master&#8217;s degree in conflict transformation from the Center for Justice and Peacebuilding.\u201cHere at Eastern Mennonite University, and especially at the Center for Justice and Peacebuilding, transformation is not something you read about,\u201d he said. \u201cIt is something you live. You wrestle with systems, stories, and suffering. You learn that peace is not passive and that justice is not optional.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Reciting the words of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.\u2014\u201cTrue peace is not merely the absence of tension; it is the presence of justice\u201d\u2014Temare said that truth echoed in every classroom, every circle, every quiet moment of reckoning. \u201cWe engaged in practices that made us uncomfortable, reflective, and awake,\u201d he said. \u201cWe learned that justice is not a concept reserved for courts or governments, but something we live, in how we treat one another, encouraged through accountability and love. And it wasn\u2019t just theory, it was practice: in community meals, in hallway debates, in learning to listen beyond what we agreed with.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/emu-wordpress-multisite-instance-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2025\/05\/07234552\/54502150005_9f07975a9d_h-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-58977\" style=\"width:650px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/emu-wordpress-multisite-instance-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2025\/05\/07234552\/54502150005_9f07975a9d_h-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/emu-wordpress-multisite-instance-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2025\/05\/07234552\/54502150005_9f07975a9d_h-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/emu-wordpress-multisite-instance-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2025\/05\/07234552\/54502150005_9f07975a9d_h-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/emu-wordpress-multisite-instance-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2025\/05\/07234552\/54502150005_9f07975a9d_h-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/emu-wordpress-multisite-instance-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2025\/05\/07234552\/54502150005_9f07975a9d_h.jpg 1600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>EMU President <strong>Dr. Susan Schultz Huxman<\/strong> presided over the ceremony\u2014her final commencement as university president before retiring later this year. In her opening remarks, she reflected on how many graduates began their college journey in 2021, amid the pandemic, and demonstrated great fortitude and creativity through times of upheaval. \u201cYou have shown the next generation what it means to shoulder setbacks and still be immersed in a rigorous and caring academic environment,\u201d she said. \u201cThese are powerful life lessons that will serve you well wherever you go.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em><strong>Dr. Tynisha Willingham, <\/strong>provost and vice president of academic affairs, commissioned the graduates. Deans <strong>Dr. Daniel Ott<\/strong> and <strong>Dr. Tara Kishbaugh<\/strong> presented the graduates. <strong>Dr. James Rosenberger &#8217;68, <\/strong>member of the EMU Board of Trustees, led the opening prayer of invocation. <strong>Sarah Witmer Lehman, <\/strong>mother of <strong>Meredith Lehman \u201925, <\/strong>delivered the commencement blessing. The ceremony featured singing by <strong>Reah Clymer \u201925, <\/strong>accompanied by <strong>Dr. David Berry, <\/strong>associate professor of music, on piano.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\" \/>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center has-medium-font-size\"><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/easternmennoniteuniversity\/albums\/72177720325919335\/\">View the photo album from the event.<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\" \/>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/emu-wordpress-multisite-instance-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2025\/05\/07235100\/54501982554_dfaf3ba753_h-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-58980\" style=\"width:650px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/emu-wordpress-multisite-instance-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2025\/05\/07235100\/54501982554_dfaf3ba753_h-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/emu-wordpress-multisite-instance-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2025\/05\/07235100\/54501982554_dfaf3ba753_h-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/emu-wordpress-multisite-instance-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2025\/05\/07235100\/54501982554_dfaf3ba753_h-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/emu-wordpress-multisite-instance-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2025\/05\/07235100\/54501982554_dfaf3ba753_h-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/emu-wordpress-multisite-instance-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2025\/05\/07235100\/54501982554_dfaf3ba753_h.jpg 1600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Rev. Dr. Lesley Francisco McClendon, senior pastor of C3 Hampton and adjunct instructor at Eastern Mennonite Seminary, delivered the Commencement address on Sunday, May 4. Speaking to the 316 <a href=\"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/2025\/commencement-speaker-calls-on-graduates-to-pursue-justice-mercy-and-humility-beyond-emu\/\" target=\"_self\" class=\"more-link\">... read more <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">about Commencement speaker calls on graduates to pursue justice, mercy, and humility beyond EMU<\/span><\/a><\/p>","protected":false},"author":302,"featured_media":58978,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5583,14715,16077,17562],"tags":[18449,5854,18457,18428],"feature":[17427,17426,17241],"class_list":["post-58973","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-campus-community","category-campus-life","category-commencement-alumni","category-digest","tag-2025-commencement","tag-commencement","tag-commencement-speaker","tag-rev-dr-lesley-francisco-mcclendon","feature-emu-home-page-feature","feature-myemu-feature","feature-news-feature"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v26.6 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Commencement speaker calls on graduates to pursue justice, mercy, and humility beyond EMU - EMU News<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/2025\/commencement-speaker-calls-on-graduates-to-pursue-justice-mercy-and-humility-beyond-emu\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Commencement speaker calls on graduates to pursue justice, mercy, and humility beyond EMU - EMU News\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The Rev. Dr. Lesley Francisco McClendon, senior pastor of C3 Hampton and adjunct instructor at Eastern Mennonite Seminary, delivered the Commencement address on Sunday, May 4. Speaking to the 316\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/2025\/commencement-speaker-calls-on-graduates-to-pursue-justice-mercy-and-humility-beyond-emu\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"EMU News\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/EasternMennonite\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2025-05-08T16:28:31+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-05-08T16:51:02+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/emu-wordpress-multisite-instance-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2025\/05\/07234705\/54501785556_ef4f1c3276_h.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1600\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1067\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Ryan Cornell\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@EMU_News\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@EMU_News\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Ryan Cornell\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"7 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/2025\/commencement-speaker-calls-on-graduates-to-pursue-justice-mercy-and-humility-beyond-emu\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/2025\/commencement-speaker-calls-on-graduates-to-pursue-justice-mercy-and-humility-beyond-emu\/\",\"name\":\"Commencement speaker calls on graduates to pursue justice, mercy, and humility beyond EMU - 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