Our penultimate Lent Devotions is written by Mike Carscaddon; executive vice president of administration and chief financial officer at Habitat for Humanity International.
I have been intrigued for many years by the mysteries of faith. These are mysteries in the sense that they cannot be explained or comprehended by reason alone. As a logical thinker, I normally crave data and clear understanding. However, in my faith, I’ve come to appreciate and even celebrate those things I cannot fully grasp.
One such mystery that strikes me is what some call the thin space between heaven and earth. We hear about it in the Christmas Eve liturgy when Christ is born. And we hear it echoed again during the Great Vigil of Easter, the first service of Easter morning. In some faith traditions, the cantor sings, “How blessed is this night, when earth and heaven are joined, and we are reconciled to God.”
The mystery here is God incarnate, coming to earth as an infant at Christmas and ultimately reconciling us to God through Christ’s resurrection. These are moments when the distance between heaven and earth collapses and we are able to catch glimpses of the divine.
The resurrection story of Easter is a wonderful mystery that makes all things new and brings hope to all humankind. I’ve seen foretastes of this hope in the work that Habitat for Humanity does around the world. People of all walks of life are lifted up by a good place to live, and communities are inspired to create better environments for children to grow into all that God intended.
Prayer
Gracious God, thank You for faith, those aspects that we intellectually understand and those things that we cannot fully comprehend. We ask that You continue to bless the ministry and work of Habitat for Humanity, that we may bring hope to those in need of housing. Through Jesus Christ our Risen Lord, Amen.
