Op-Ed: Why Every New Beginning Feels Like An Ending—And How To Embrace It

Every commencement season, many confront the end of one period and the birth of another. Many stand at a crossroads, turning their backs on what they’ve long known, even as they gaze into an uncertain future. It is no wonder, then, that educational or career changes can give rise to anxiety and depression.

If this is you, do not lose sight of the true meaning of commencement, which is beginning. Often, when we talk about commencement, we focus narrowly on the end of high school, college or post-graduate work. But matriculation is only one facet of commencement. It is also the birth of a new season.

It may not always be apparent, but we are often transitioning from one chapter to another. Even when we feel like we have our lives fully figured out, change is likely around the corner. Additionally, progress is not the end of the story. Often, our hard-fought gains must be fortified and defended. The civil rights stalwarts who marched on the Edmund Pettus Bridge for the right to vote may have had no idea that our generation would be defending racial progress, including voting rights, decades later.

Moreover, God’s plans are always larger than our own. And God doesn’t consistently share a roadmap detailing how we’ll get from one point to another. We may think we are preparing for one thing, when in reality, we are training for something entirely different.  

For instance, I went to school for psychology and ended up serving as a senior pastor at a church just minutes from campus. In another example, when I began pastoring, I thought my entire career would involve traditional ministry. I had no idea I would leave pastoral ministry after 14 years to launch the Black Church Food Security Network. (BCFSN)

I didn’t recognize it at the time, but working in my great-grandmother’s and grandmother’s garden as a child prepared me for the work I do today. The BCFSN started with a handful of congregations and now includes over 250 congregations across the United States that grow food on their land, host markets or buy in bulk from Black farmers.  I remember the transition vividly.

For over a decade, I was multi-vocational: I juggled being a senior pastor, leading an African-centered Freedom School for youth, establishing a food justice organization and so much more. There were always multiple things competing for my time and attention. For instance, during the COVID-19 pandemic and the first Trump presidency, there was significant concern around food security. We met the moment, which was bigger than the challenges that color various stages of life.

It’s easy to be addicted to a destination—the place where we think all our problems will be alleviated—but the true work is to be present to what is happening in the here and now. The task is to focus less on the destination and more on the journey.

It’s been three years since I stepped down from a senior pastoral role. At the time, I could sense one season was ending, but I couldn’t tell what was around the corner. With 3 years of distance separating then and now, I realize it wasn’t an ending; it was a transition. For instance, when I left full-time pastoral ministry, I thought I would preach and teach in churches less frequently. The truth is, today I preach, teach, and train just as much as I did before – the only difference is I stand on many platforms versus just one.

When I stepped down from pastoring, I thought I wouldn’t be engaged with congregational work. I imagined myself sitting on a back pew, being fed by the person who was preaching, and then quietly exiting through the back door like so many others. In reality, I’m in the pulpit every Sunday. My father is the senior pastor, but I am right there supporting him. My Sundays are as filled with ministry today as they were years ago. My full vocation extends beyond the pulpit and yet, I am still serving God and community. I’m still a minister, but focused more so today on the ministry of food justice.

Octavia Butler said, “All that you touch you change, and all that you change, changes you. The only lasting truth is change. God is change.” This sentiment expresses my journey and likely yours.

Over the past several years, I’ve seen incredible fruit with my work with the Black Church Food Security Network. My ability to focus professionally has brought great fruit for the organization. This isn’t to say we haven’t had ups and downs; we have. But the minute I think we have settled I’m reminded that we’ve only just begun. My full-time vocation is serving God and God’s people – just not exclusively in the pulpit.

If you are experiencing anxiety around what comes next, rest assured that as you take one step, the path will unfold. If you are in the midst of a career change and questioning whether your best is behind you, know that some doors must close in order for others to open.

You may not know what’s before you, but I encourage you to carry a backpack. The backpack symbolizes that you are a forever student ready to make any environment your classroom. (Everyone you meet is a teacher!)  You may be moving from one classroom, but I assure you, another one is around the corner. After all, commencement is the end of one thing and the beginning of another.

By Rev. Dr. Heber Brown, III is the founder and executive director of the Black Church Food Security Network.

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