The Conversation That Changed the World
One day, a conversation changed the course of the world on a certain evening near a dusty road.
A certain lawyer approached the Savior, asking what he could do to inherit eternal life. Jesus said he should love God with all his mind, heart, and might. But that wasn’t all. The Savior added: “And thy neighbor as thyself.” The lawyer, trying to justify himself, asked: “And who is my neighbor?”
Always perceptive, the Savior understood what he truly meant with that question. The lawyer was simply finding another way to excuse himself from loving and serving others. To answer that question, Jesus could have simply answered “anybody.” However, the Lord told a beautiful parable that illustrates who our neighbor is and how we should serve all around us.
Why did this conversation change the world? Because the Savior taught the very way to true happiness: losing yourself in the service of others. Cumorah Academy wanted every student to return home with that commitment to serve the community they live in and expand their talents while doing so.
The Parable of the Good Samaritan
The parable of the Good Samaritan has since been considered one of the most well-known parables due to its message of love and kindness. A certain man was walking from Jerusalem to Jericho and fell among thieves, who attacked him and left him there. Lying on the ground, the man was suffering. Two others passing by, a priest and a Levite, ignored him and went on their way. When a certain Samaritan saw the man, he was moved by compassion and took care of him. He “bound up his wounds” and took him to an inn. The Samaritan was even willing to give his own money to the host of the inn so he could take care of the wounded man.
Some might say that Cumorah Academy is the inn of the parable. Many students come looking for new hope in their lives, a way to heal their wounds due to life’s challenges. After a semester full of adventures and beautiful stories, now is the time to say goodbye and spread their wings to new adventures.
The Graduation Ceremony
Music is an important part of the Cumorah Academy. The ceremony started with the hymn “There is Sunshine in My Soul Today.” Students were part of the music – playing the piano and conducting. Samuel and Talia, both from Brazil, were chosen to deliver talks about the semester. They shared their feelings about the Cumorah Academy experience and what they will apply in their lives.
After the talks, another musical number was presented by Nina Scurtu (Sales class teacher) and Janet. They performed “Savior, Redeemer of My Soul.” Then, Kelly Shepherd gave a talk to the students before they displayed a video about the graduation. After that, they started handing out the certificates to all students. They smiled, took pictures, and celebrated together. Ruth’s group won the House (just to let you know). Finally, Iain Saunders (Academic Director) gave the final talk. Yes, they all cried. It’s tempting to see every graduation as the same as the previous one. But they never are. Each graduation has its own color and rhythm; each student contributes to their graduation with their creativity and attributes.
As the man in the parable, each student has his own wounds; some have financial challenges, others have emotional ones. However, like the Good Samaritan, the Savior has found each one of them and gathered them together with one purpose. Each person who put effort to make the life of these students better deserve the recognision. Mentors, staff members, teachers, volunteers, SLIs, and others served as the Savior did, making this semester the best experience ever for each student.
As the Good Samaritan, He put them in the inn and made sure they would recover, ready to pursue their dreams once they returned home.
You can feel a little of the graduation in the clip below:
Written by Fernando L. Ferreira Jr.
Photos by Camila Caraveo
Supervision by Kamila Uberto Fullmer
To read more stories of this semester or previous ones, check our Blog Page.
