It has been the most physically demanding week of my life.
Working for Habitat for Humanity in El Salvador this past week has worn me out every single day. It has been hot, tiring, sometimes mindless work. But I have gone to bed each night content. Feeling incredibly exhausted and incredibly blessed.
And it has taken everything I have to keep up with the amazing team from Arapaho.
This trip has pushed me outside my comfort zone and past my limits. I am bruised and sore and tired and aching. I am homesick and ready to be back in my own bed. I am spiritually conflicted--nourished by the connections I have made but saddened by the suffering that I have been exposed to.
It has been hard work, and now I can't wait to share my experiences--but I also need rest.
But that is what happens when we make love concrete.
Because one of the tasks of the church is to make the love of God concrete. I can think and reflect about what it means to be a beloved child of God but if I don't recognize my neighbor as my brother or sister than I have missed the point. I can talk about grace, but if I don't experience it, then it is hard for others to hear it, see it, taste it, and feel it. This week, besides mixing concrete and pouring it to make a foundation, we have made love concrete in the world.
We have worked our hearts out. Every single member of this amazing group of people has come together and become co-laborers. Not just with each other, and not just with the masons and family members working at the site.
They have become co-workers with God.
They have listened for the voice of God and said yes to the opportunity of going on this mission trip. They listened to the joyous sound of children laughing and welcoming them to the work sites. They listened to fellow team member's advice and encouragement. They listened to the maestros as they handed out instructions. They listened to the voice of God in the words of Oscar Romero--who gave his life for the image of God found on the poor and the oppressed.
They saw God in the smiles of the families who would soon have houses to live in. They saw God in the hard work they did. They saw God's pain on the wall listing the names of victims of El Salvador's civil war. They saw God in the vulnerability, patience, and gratitude of each other. And hopefully, they saw God in themselves.
Because they saw something else this week. They saw God's vision for the world. They saw God's vision for a future when all would live and laugh and love without worry about having adequate housing. They saw God's vision for a world of justice and mercy and love.
And this week, they worked with God and with each other toward making that vision a reality--they made love concrete.
And now, it is time to come home.
RSS Feed