A Mantle with Your Name

Last Wednesday, on the historic Castel Sant'Angelo bridge in Rome, Dolce & Gabbana staged a spectacular Alta Sartoria menswear show. Among the models was Armenian talent Ashot Grigoryan, who walked those ancient Roman streets adorned in garments that looked like they belonged in a cathedral, not a closet. The robes were flowing, regal, and rich in both color and detail, inspired by the ceremonial vestments of the Catholic Church.

As I watched, it struck me just how deeply the world still longs for the sacred. Even when people don’t fully grasp the meaning behind symbols of faith, they’re still drawn to their beauty. There’s something about the sacred that continues to draw the human heart. And those garments—those robes—reminded me of something deeper.

Throughout Scripture, garments often point to calling and purpose. Joseph received a coat of many colors not to look good in front of his brothers, but to remind him of a destiny bigger than the pit he’d find himself in. Elijah threw his mantle over Elisha not just as a sign of succession, but as a transfer of purpose. God gives us a garment that’s not about fashion, but about function.

I was reminded of this truth in a deeply personal way last May, when the General Theological Seminary honored me with a doctorate. As they placed the academic robe and the honorary hood upon my shoulders, I realized it was more than a symbol of recognition—it was a reminder that God often opens doors we never knock on, and calls us to walk paths we never dreamed we'd travel.

You don’t have to earn everything through effort alone. Some blessings come through favor. Some doors open because you’ve been faithful in the unseen places. Because others prayed for you. And when that happens it’s not just to honor you. It’s to bless you so that you become a blessing.

Friends, there is a garment with your name on it. There is a mantle being woven in heaven for your journey on earth. Maybe it’s not a degree or a title—maybe it’s a calling to parent a child with patience, to lead a business with integrity, to forgive someone who hurt you deeply. And when you live clothed in your calling, that’s when you become a blessing to the world around you.