Last week I had the privilege of spending time with some great people from all over the world as part of our graduation ceremonies.

I renewed my friendship with Alain, an exuberant and gentle soul who works as a hospital chaplain in Missouri, as well as a US Army chaplain.  He is originally from Rwanda – the homeland he left over a decade ago after watched the brutal execution of his siblings and parents before he was miraculously rescued from the same fate.

I listened to an Egyptian gentleman, a former Wall Street stockbroker of 30 years, talk about what it was like being at Ground Zero on September 11, 2001 – how he tried to help and aid those around him while fearing for his family that day, and then how he continued to face persecution and abuse for years later due to the color of his skin and religious beliefs.  I am hopeful he will remember to send me a copy of his dissertation on the history of terrorism from a Muslim and Christian perspective.

For our Graduation Address, I listened to a Catholic nun from Nigeria, now the Assistant Director for the Care of Migrants, Refugees, and Travelers discuss her own immigration to the US; as well as the plight of the people she serves, as they dare to escape persecution in their homeland, only to find a different form of discrimination when they try to come to “a better place.”

I was also able to catch up with several friends from previous classes – they shared about the struggles of being relocated from Seattle to Phoenix after 30 years of service to one company, or what it was like now living with a chronic disease – of course we all talked about where life goes after graduation.

These discussions and presentations really made some of my struggles feel small.  It made me realize my daughters’ teenage tendencies really pales in comparison to escaping execution in Africa; or that my wife’s inability to understand my perspective on using colorful paint rather than off-white in the living room is really of little consequence.

Sometimes we need that perspective.  We need to remember that everyone is going through something in life – whether it is the person you just met, or the person you share your life with.  We all have our baggage to carry through this life.  What would the world be like if we stopped and just has a little grace for what others are going through?  Better yet, what would it do if we actually helped that person carry the burden?