I sat in the crowd this week at a graduation ceremony—an event traditionally reserved for celebrating achievement, discipline, and personal growth. But as the graduates walked across the stage, I took note of something that was a little eschewed. What struck me was how the concept of “distinction” seems to have been redefined—blurred into something that no longer necessarily reflects effort or excellence.

There were cords and stoles all over the place. There were traditional Latin honors—magna cum laude, summa cum laude—marking academic achievement. But every other student wore a colorful stole, representing just about everything. There were stoles for being the first in the family to graduate, being gay, being a specific culture, identifiers, and all kinds of symbols that appeared to carry the same weight of distinction as academic accomplishment. It was no longer clear who had earned their place through years of hard work and who was being celebrated simply based upon their identity alone.

Honor Without Merit: When EVERYTHING is Special, Nothing Truly is

At some point, recognition shifted from what a person has done to what a person is. When everything is special, nothing truly is. We tread dangerous ground when we start equating identity with distinction. There’s nothing wrong with celebrating heritage or acknowledging obstacles overcome—but when those things are used to confer honor without merit, we dilute the very idea of achievement.

“Do you see a man skillful in his work? He will stand before kings; he will not stand before obscure men.” (Proverbs 22:29)

In an ancient culture where lineage was the criteria for honor and distinction, the Bible cautions against engaging in “foolish controversies” and “genealogies,” suggesting that lineage itself is not the primary focus for Christians. Honor in Scripture is tied to excellence, diligence, and faithfulness, not to background or birthright.

Graduation should be a recognition of perseverance, learning, and growth—not just a stage for displaying cultural affiliations or social categories. I worry that in our zeal to affirm everyone, we’ve made it hard to honor true excellence.

Paul writes in Colossians 3:23, “Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men.” That kind of heart—the one that labors quietly and faithfully—is the one we should be honoring. But in an age where participation earns a trophy and identity earns applause, it’s easy to lose sight of what really matters.

This isn’t about bitterness or jealousy. My daughter was Summa Cum Laude ( GO GIRL!). It’s about clarity, teaching our children that distinction still matters. Striving is still worth it. Character is still more important than category.

If we stop rewarding excellence, we will stop encouraging it. If we honor for merely showing up, we passively encourage to NOT give your all.