Today in chapel we celebrated All Saints Day. We lit candles and floated them in the baptismal font as we called to mind those saints who have gone ahead of us into the larger life of God and those with whom we continue to labor in God’s vineyard. As we cross from this All Saints Day into the Thanksgiving holiday, I am ever mindful of the saints who nudge us into being more than we can imagine on our own.
In the autumn of 1998, as I was preparing to leave Cambridge, England, following completion of my Ph.D., the United Kingdom minted a new coin worth two pounds. Etched in the rim of the coin is part of a phrase attributed to another Cambridge graduate, Isaac Newton. It reads, “standing on the shoulders of giants.” The full phrase is: “If I can see farther now it is because I am standing on the shoulders of giants.” This time of gratitude from All Saints Day through the Thanksgiving holiday reminds me of the giants who have gone ahead of us and who surround us. The giants in faith who encourage us to keep our focus on the cross of Christ. The giants in faith who lift us up when our vision is too self-centered. The giants who support us with prayer and keep before us the promise of Christ to be with us in the midst of doubt and ambiguity.
So many of you are giants in the faith for Luther Seminary. You help us see beyond self-interest to expansive collaboration and a robust spirit of inquiry. Thank you. I invite you in these next weeks to unleash a wave of gratitude to any saints on whose shoulders you stand.