Alex Hoffer

Earlier this year, our family traveled to Amsterdam and Berlin.

We chose those destinations because they were two cities we had never experienced together. I had been to Amsterdam before on business, but Sarah and the kids had never visited either city.

While we enjoyed many of the attractions both cities have to offer, the primary focus of our trip was learning about World War II history. In Amsterdam, we toured Corrie ten Boom’s house and visited the Anne Frank House. In Berlin, we took a walking tour focused on Nazi Germany and World War II, visited historical landmarks throughout the city, and spent time learning about the Cold War, the Berlin Wall, and the impact communism had on East Berlin.

Like many family trips, we returned home with memories, photos, and stories. But we also returned with a few lessons that have stayed with me.

1. Hope Matters Most

As I frequently write on this blog, my hope is in Jesus.

What struck me throughout this trip was how faith sustained people during some of history’s darkest moments. Visiting Corrie ten Boom’s house was especially moving. Here was a woman who willingly suffered for the sake of her Jewish neighbors because of her Christian convictions.

Her faith was not theoretical. It was costly.

She risked her safety, her freedom, and ultimately endured imprisonment because she believed loving her neighbor was worth the sacrifice.

When I study stories like hers, I am reminded that hope is not merely a comforting idea. Real hope gives people the courage to endure suffering and to act with extraordinary love when doing so comes at a tremendous personal cost.

2. Evil Never Wins in the End

For a season, evil appears victorious.

For millions of Jews living between 1938 and 1945, it certainly seemed that way.

Yet as I walked through Berlin, I was reminded that evil is ultimately temporary. The physical scale and ambition of Nazi Germany were impressive by human standards. Massive buildings, grand plans, and enormous displays of power communicated permanence.

Yet none of it lasted.

One of the most striking moments for me was visiting the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe. Beneath that area once stood Joseph Goebbels’ bunker. Today, a memorial honoring Jewish victims stands above it.

Nearby, the site of Hitler’s bunker is marked by little more than a parking lot and a modest apartment complex.

Neither man’s legacy endured as he intended.

As a Christian, I see this as a reminder that God is sovereign and just. Justice may not arrive on our timetable, but history repeatedly demonstrates that evil eventually faces judgment.

3. Economic Freedom Creates Opportunity

One of the unexpected themes of our trip was seeing the contrast between capitalism and communism.

The DDR Museum in Berlin offered a fascinating look at daily life in East Germany. Citizens were promised security and equality, yet many experienced shortages, rationing, government surveillance, and limited personal freedom.

What stood out to me was the contrast between systems that restrict individual initiative and systems that encourage it.

Our favorite experience of the entire trip may have been a small sandwich shop in Amsterdam. The young owner proudly shared that his father was an artist whose paintings decorated the walls. Guests could enjoy a meal while viewing and even purchasing the artwork.

It was a simple example of entrepreneurship, creativity, and opportunity working together.

No economic system is perfect. Every system has flaws because people are flawed. But after seeing both the promises and realities of communism up close, I remain convinced that capitalism, despite its imperfections, creates more opportunities for people to improve their lives through hard work, creativity, and initiative.

4. History Is Worth Learning

Perhaps the biggest takeaway from our trip was a renewed appreciation for history.

I do not necessarily believe that history repeats itself. But I do believe that ignorance of history often leads people to make poor decisions in the future.

What made this trip special was watching our children experience history firsthand.

They stood where Anne Frank and her family hid. They walked through memorials honoring six million Jewish lives lost during the Holocaust. They stood near the site of Hitler’s bunker and learned that even the most powerful dictators are eventually reduced to history.

Those experiences cannot be fully replicated in a classroom or through a textbook.

They also gained perspective. While our country certainly has challenges, they saw firsthand that America continues to offer freedoms and economic opportunities that much of the world has struggled to provide throughout history.

History gives us perspective. It humbles us. It teaches us. And when we take the time to learn it well, it helps us make wiser decisions about the future.

That alone made this trip worthwhile.

To the Class of 2026,

We live in a world full of noise.

Social media keeps our eyes on screens at all hours of the day. A 24/7 news cycle constantly bombards us with information—and often tempts us toward division.

So today, I want to leave you with three simple ideas:

Regret. Freedom. Gratitude.

Regret

For most of my life, regret was something to avoid.

Maybe you’ve heard the same message I did growing up: live with no regrets.

But Paul David Tripp helped me see regret differently.

Regret, at its best, is a form of clarity. It is seeing your past more truthfully. It is a prompt toward humility and growth. For those who follow God, it can even be a wake-up call—revealing patterns, priorities, or misaligned desires.

In other words, regret isn’t the enemy. It’s a signal.

It tells us that something in our lives has drifted from who we intended to be.

And here’s the truth: you will have regrets. That’s unavoidable.

But there are two ways to carry them.

You can carry regret as shame—letting it define you, labeling yourself by your worst moments.

Or you can carry it as wisdom—letting it refine you and help you make better decisions moving forward.

My challenge to you is this:

Live reflectively.

Do not personalize your failures.

Learn from them.

Let your regrets become course corrections that guide you toward the person you want to be.

Freedom

We often define freedom as doing whatever we want.

But I see it differently:

Freedom is not doing whatever you want. It’s having nothing to hide.

You are entering a world where the line between private and public is shrinking. What you say, what you post, what you do—it all has a way of lasting.

So live in a way that can withstand being seen.

The Stoic philosopher Seneca taught that true freedom is rooted in inner integrity, not external permission. And that’s exactly right.

When you live with integrity—when your private life and public life are aligned—you experience a kind of freedom that no one can take from you.

Because you have nothing to hide.

And interestingly, the more you live this way, the fewer regrets you will carry.

Gratitude

Gratitude is not pretending life is perfect.

It is seeing clearly what is already good.

In a world that constantly highlights what is broken, gratitude becomes an act of clarity—and even resistance.

I like to think of gratitude as the gateway to perspective.

And perspective is honest.

It doesn’t ignore what’s wrong. But it refuses to ignore what’s right.

It reminds us that, despite challenges, there is still so much to be thankful for.

But gratitude is fragile—especially in the age of comparison.

You are growing up in a world where it’s easy to compare your everyday life to someone else’s highlight reel. And when that happens, gratitude begins to disappear.

So be intentional.

Write down what you’re grateful for.

Notice it.

Name it.

On hard days, remind yourself of what is still going well—even the basics: a place to live, food to eat, people who care about you.

Gratitude may not change your circumstances.

But it will change your relationship to them.

In Closing

Class of 2026,

I believe in you.

I believe in your potential.

I believe in the future you will help shape.

And I believe your best days are ahead.

As you move forward:

Be curious about your regrets.

Live in a way you are proud of when it is seen.

And practice gratitude—daily, intentionally, consistently.

Notice what is good.

See it.

Cherish it.

And as you step into this next chapter: 

Know that we see you, we value you, and we welcome you into the greater society.

The end of Jesus’ life on earth was filled with alienation, pain, and mocking. As Matthew recalls in the 26th chapter of his Gospel, “…the men stepped forward, seized Jesus, and arrested him” (26:50). The first reaction of Jesus’ disciples was violence (verse 51), but Jesus said no protection was needed from his friends (verses 52-56). This was, after all, the plan. As crazy as that sounds. 

Before long, however, Jesus was alienated and left to fend for himself. Peter gets picked on by modern readers, so it is important to clarify he was not the only one that left Jesus. All did. But Peter did deny that he knew Jesus (verses 69-75). Later on, this was all forgiven, and it serves as a reminder that we can always come back home to Jesus (John 21:15-17). 

Next for Jesus was physical pain. The soldiers “…spit in his face and struck him with their fists. Others slapped him” (Matthew 26:67). A “crown of thorns was set on his head” (Matthew 27:29). “They struck him on the head again and again” (verse 30), and led him away to be crucified. Crucifixion involved the nailing of irons into his arms and legs. It was a brutal and unimaginably awful way to die. 

Yet, this was not the end. 

Besides the alienation of his friends and the pain he endured, Jesus also dealt with mocking. Early on, it came from the soldiers: “Then they knelt in front of him (Jesus) and mocked him” (verse 27:29). Later on the cross, it came from two rebels who hung beside him. Then it came from the religious leaders watching all the events take place in front of them: “…the teachers of the law and the elders mocked him” (27:41). 

The end seemed to be now approaching, but it was really just the beginning. 

You Are Not Alone

Do you feel alienated? 

Do you struggle with physical pain? 

Do you feel mocked? 

Do you feel like the end is coming? 

You are not alone. 

“After the Sabbath…Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to the Tomb” (Matthew 28:1). If you were going to make up a story two thousand years ago, your last choice of witnesses would be two women. Women were not considered credible witnesses in that culture, yet Jesus’ resurrection starts with women because everyone matters to Jesus, and all are welcome. “Suddenly Jesus met them. ‘Greetings,’ he said. They came to him, clasped his feet and worshipped him” (verse 9). 

Have you come to Jesus? The invitation is for everyone and anyone! 

But the religious leaders were not done yet. “When the chief priests had met with the elders and devised a plan, they gave the soldiers a large sum of money, telling them, ‘you are to say, ‘his disciples came during the night and stole him away while we were asleep.’” (Verses 11-13). 

What are we to make of this? Did the same disciples who alienated Jesus come and do this? Did they somehow manage to overcome Roman guards and move a large boulder guarding the tomb’s entrance? Or is this whole story just made up? 

I cannot speak for you, but I find it hard to believe that these disciples – the same ones that just alienated Jesus – would turn-around and come to spread the message of Jesus’ resurrection. Not only that, but that they would do so with such fervor that ten of them eventually would be martyred for doing so. That is, unless they were doing so from a place of being certain of what they had witnessed!  

But you have to decide on your own. 

The Hope of the World

In a world lacking hope, and in a world full of ridicule, alienation, and mocking, maybe it is time to reconsider the Hope of the World. 

Jesus is the one I follow because he is the perfect example of truth, love, and hope. He is my Savior. In fact, there are not enough words to describe him in the dictionary! My entire life changed when I discovered the Hope found in him. And there is nothing blind about it. It is there for anyone to see if they look for it. 

If anything written above tugs at your heart, maybe you should consider reading the book of Mark. You can read one chapter per day for the next 16 days and learn what Jesus says on his own. His words are better than mine! 

What I can say is this: 

Jesus welcomes all. 

You can set your bags down. 

There are no qualifications needed. 

Your past is just that, your past. 

You are home now. 

Easter morning is here. 

Hope springs eternal because of Jesus.