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At the entrance to the Habitat for Humanity Global Village and Discovery Center, located in Americas, GA., there is a magnificent sculpture of the round sphere earth emerging up from an open book representing the Bible. Scriptures inscribed on the pages of the statue appropriately refer to the Great Commission to go into all the earth proclaiming Good News and the inscriptions specifically allude to Habitat’s main mission of building and advocating for suitable and attainable housing in every village, every country and in every remote region.
Founded in 1976, by Millard Fuller, Habitat for Humanity is a non-profit organization operating worldwide. Its goal, put simply, has always been to raise awareness and to bring servant leaders, engaged citizens, volunteers and future home owners together in one effort and in one accord to build and provide homes for those who otherwise might not have the opportunity to obtain affordable housing.
Fuller and his wife Linda, once served as directors of Koinonia Farm, a mixed race and faith-based agriculture-driven community founded nearly 80 years ago by Clarence Jordan. The farm, also located in Sumter County near Americus, once was flourishing in spite of the extreme racial tension that permeated throughout the region. When the number of families working and living on the farm outgrew the space and on site provisions — the first group of affordable houses were built for Koinonia families. From there, Habitat for Humanity was birthed and a world vision emerged.
Both Koinonia and Habitat for Humanity gained the support of former president Jimmy Carter whose home and campaign headquarters is located in nearby Plains, GA. A decade or more later, Fuller split from Habitat and formed another housing initiative bearing his namesake. Both housing initiatives continue to serve the local community and have an international impact.
In 2017 and 2018, my husband and I worked and lived at Koinonia Farm. While there, we had the amazing opportunity to understand the concept of community living and to learn more about the vision and legacy of both Clarence Jordan and of Millard Fuller. I was impressed by their work and even more enlightened by their words and their perspective in terms of faith as action.
“For a community to be whole and healthy, it must be based on the peoples love and concern for each other,” Fuller once wrote. “Faith must be more than a verbal proclamation or an intellectual assent, it must be acted out . . . It’s not your blue blood pedigree or your college degree that matters, its what you do with your life that counts.”
Jordan also had some great words:
“The measure of a Christian is not in the height of his grasp but in the depth of his love”
―
“Fear is the polio of the soul which prevents our walking by faith.”
― The Substance of Faith: And Other Cotton Patch Sermons
“Even though people about us choose the path of hate and violence and warfare and greed and prejudice, we who are Christ’s body must throw off these poisons and let love permeate and cleanse every tissue and cell. Nor are we to allow ourselves to become easily discouraged when love is not always obviously successful or pleasant. Love never quits, even when an enemy has hit you on the right cheek and you have turned the other, and he’s also hit that.”
― The Substance of Faith: And Other Cotton Patch Sermons
It was my great intention to film my first ever podcast (The Hope Report LIVE) from Clarence Jordan’s writing shack in the middle of the farm’s pecan grove or from the Habitat for Humanity headquarters but when I got to the Habitat location last week, I found the entrance gate locked and the impressive “Great Commission” statue too hard to see. Sticking to my plan, I recorded a brief introduction from in front of the main sign on the front lawn and I shot a couple of still photos from through the locked fence. The sound of trucks driving by, the wind and other loud noises made the video hard to produce and the locked gate served as a grim reminder of the dark and difficult days that are upon us in the midst of this worldwide pandemic and mandatory orders to “shelter in place”.
As much as I wanted my first podcast to be all about the Great Commission and the awesome faith in action philosophy that led to the birth of both Koinonia Farm and Habitat for Humanity the whole idea of the Great Commission suddenly, somehow seemed out of place, out of sinc, just plain out of reach.
Instead of continuing to shoot the video, I caved. I sadly looked through the gated fence with its heavy chain and its “closed to visitors” signage. I shed a couple of tears and felt my stomach churn as I slowly packed up my photo gear and headed home.
I am not one to give up. I am a missionary at heart. But what does that mean right here, right now? Dear God, how? How can evangelists, apostles, teachers, preachers, healers, helpers, pastors, lay ministers and dedicated disciples help the hurting, comfort the fearful, enlighten the confused, encourage the dismayed, find and save the lost, feed the hungry or in all practicality continue to minister under these horrific conditions?
How can we be the salt and the light? 
I don’t have that answer. Only God can show us the way.
This is the hour of great Tribulation as the orders from government officials at every level in nearly every state are clear: Stay home, obey designated curfews, keep a six foot distance, avoid shopping, don’t hoard the supplies, cancel gatherings, do not celebrate or congregate, avoid crowds, stay inside, wear a mask, wash your hand, stay clean, shut the church doors, close schools, close up all non-essential businesses, get tested, violators could be arrested, isolate, prepare for the worst yet hope to survive.
Our President has said a quarter million more Americans may die, suffer and die all alone, without family or loved ones at their side, in make shift hospitals where weary workers are losing stamina, where hope is fading and the negativity drowns out the miracles and positive reports.
I don’t like writing this today. Oh my . . . Heaven come down and help us please.
The mandate to spread the Good News of the Gospel to every person in every nation seems more vital and urgent than ever. I tend to think way out of the box but the box we are in today is stifling and a hindrance and it is making the mandate seem unattainable, impractical, impossible, unimaginable and basically too hard to achieve.
Should we give up? in this swirl of chaos and confusion, under such restrictive conditions, amidst desperation, desolation and perhaps even delusion what can we do and how can we do it?
Perhaps we can fall down on our knees, shed out masks and put our faces to the floor. Can we humble ourselves and repent? Cry Holy? Shall we fast and pray until we truly change our ways? Perhaps we should put on sackcloth and ashes. Raise a hallelujah!!! Stand up and sing praise.
I say trust. I say wait. I say believe. Hold on to God’s promises and prepare for better days.
Don’t be fooled, my brothers and sisters, this is the testing of our faith and the actions we take today may be our saving grace.
The HOPE Report 