In this past week of devotions, writer Jan Richardson¹ shared a beautiful idea from the Celtic tradition: that in certain spots and at specific times, there are “thin places,” where the veil between worlds becomes permeable, and heaven and earth meet.

I have a hunch that the veil between earth and heaven, time and eternity, is an illusion – mere perception from our human side of things – and that eternity and heaven are with us all along. Plato’s two worlds approach never did sit well with a lot of Christian theology. God is with us – “Emmanuel” – whether or not we have “eyes to see” or “ears to hear” all the angels singing around us.

It’s amazing how the Divine does get through our surface preoccupations. I remember walking around a historic church building on the island of Molokai. The small, white-clapboard structure was locked up, but there was a churchyard cemetery behind it. As I walked among the headstones, a flood of love washed over me. Entire generations of faithful living had taken place here, and their witness continues to be palpable. It brought a flood of tears, in joy and gratitude for the holiness that has taken place (as St. Paul says,) “from the first day until now.”²

Heaven and earth meet in the “thin places” of time, as well as of space: perhaps in this time, as we celebrate the birth of Christ and ponder its meaning. May we be awed and expressive “stewards of God’s mysteries.”³

Your partner in ministry,

Betsy Schwarzentraub

¹ – Jan L. Richardson, “Where Heaven and Earth Meet,” Dec. 22-28, 2014, in Upper Room Disciplines, 2014

² – Philippians 1:5

³ – 1 Corinthians 4:1