And we’re off! This Saturday, Trinity Lutheran Seminary’s graduation will cap a four-year journey of learning about Scripture, theology, and the Church. As I am gearing up to receive my diploma this weekend, I am realizing that I have just barely scratched the surface of mastering all things divine. So, what does this Masters of Divinity mean for me? It means that my journey is just beginning. Placing a degree in-hand feels a lot like winning the Kentucky Derby. Although this is a cause worth celebrating, God continues to call us into something more. The Preakness and the Belmont Stakes lie ahead.
The training required to live more like Christ is a lifelong process that requires endurance, intentionality, and a supportive team that will work to carry us through. I am always amazed by the amount of people invested in one horse. Everyone from the trainer, to the owner, to the jockey, it takes a village to get a horse across the finish line with a victory. As I graduate, I recall all the people who have molded me into the person that I am today. The list of teachers is countless, the number of mentors is endless, and the abundance of support is overwhelming.
I’m not sure what the upcoming race will look like. All I know is that God will be present every step of the way. Finally, when it’s all said and done, God will lead us to that Triple Crown. Until then, God will delight when we live into our calling to love one another with a full heart. God will lead all of us to that place where “justice rolls down like water, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream” (Amos 5:24). It is through Christ alone that we are made victorious. We are all made Triple Crown winners because God emphatically loves us and passionately cares for world.
I’ll meet you at the track,
Lucas McSurley