Choir Notes

Standing on Shoulders
From Music and the Spoken Word
Delivered By: Lloyd D. Newell • Program 4259

More than 300 years ago, Sir Isaac Newton lived an extraordinary life of accomplishment. Among his many achievements, he invented the reflecting telescope and unlocked the study of calculus. He developed a new theory of light and color and defined the laws of motion and gravity. When a friend praised his abilities, he responded humbly and insightfully, "If I have seen farther, it is by standing on the shoulders of giants.”1

Like Newton, we each stand on the shoulders of others. Every scientist and philosopher, every teacher and student, every mother and father builds upon the past.

Recently, a boy discovered his father’s eighth-grade journal. He smiled as he read through the mishaps and musings of a 13-year-old version of Dad. One entry in particular gave him pause. It read, in all capital letters, "My dad is the greatest man alive!” This boy had never met his grandfather, but he felt the same way about his own dad. Now he understood that the reason his dad seemed like such a giant to him was because he had been standing on the shoulders of a giant himself.

As Newton observed, we can see farther and reach higher by standing on the shoulders of those who have gone before. It may be a parent or grandparent, a mentor or teacher—anyone who, through their example, makes the difficult seem doable. We gain strength from giants who are kind and caring, trustworthy and wise. We gain courage from giants who are bighearted and supportive in helping us see our potential. Giants who have been through adversity and heartache and are still standing tall inspire and lift us when we face our own trials. Indeed, we can become better and stronger as such giants raise us up with their love, concern, and confidence.

1 Letter to Robert Hooke, Feb. 1676, in David Brewster, Memoirs of the Life, Writings, and Discoveries of Sir Isaac Newton (1855), 142.