Lent 2025 Day 39

Katherine Johnson, Mathematician 
Psalm 19:1–4 | Leviticus 23:1–8
 
Katherine Johnson (1918–2020) was a pioneering mathematician and one of the brilliant Black women whose calculations made space travel possible at NASA. A devout Christian, Johnson combined a life of intellect with a life of faith. Her work helped launch John Glenn into orbit and contributed to the Apollo 11 moon landing, yet for decades, her contributions remained hidden behind racial and gendered barriers.

Her life speaks of discipline, quiet perseverance, and the sacred vocation of science. In her, we see a person of faith whose worship extended beyond hymns and prayers to include equations and trajectories. For Johnson, uncovering the mysteries of the cosmos was not a challenge to her belief in God—it was an expression of it. Like the psalmist in Psalm 19, she found that the heavens declare God’s glory—not only in beauty, but in the intricate patterns that govern movement and possibility.

Johnson’s story is also one of embodiment and dignity. As a Black woman in segregated Virginia, she worked in the Jim Crow South under the constant weight of racism and sexism. Her genius was often overlooked, her presence doubted. Yet she persisted with humility and excellence, refusing to allow the prejudices of others to diminish her sense of calling. Lent, as a season of discipline and reflection, calls us into that same steady resolve: to show up fully, to use our gifts boldly, and to know that God sees us even when the world does not.

Leviticus 23 describes the rhythm of sacred time—the festivals and convocations that structure the life of Israel. These appointed times remind the people that all of life is connected to God: work and rest, days of offering and days of waiting. Katherine Johnson’s story fits into that rhythm. Her vocation was not bound to Sunday mornings but to a sacred attentiveness that shaped every day. She approached her work with reverence, seeing in the order of numbers the fingerprint of divine logic. Her life reminds us that holiness is not confined to sanctuary space—it radiates from the chalkboard, the launchpad, the spreadsheet, the formula.

During Lent, we reflect on God’s movement in the wilderness of our world and in the hidden places of our lives. Johnson shows us that faithful witness can take the form of precision and patience. Her story tells us that resurrection does not always come in thunder—it often comes in recognition. In a late season of her life, the world finally saw her brilliance. But God had seen it all along.

Reflection:

• Where in your daily life do you encounter the sacred—perhaps in overlooked or unexpected places? 
• How do you use your gifts to reflect God’s order, creativity, or care? 
• In what ways can discipline be an act of worship and witness? 

Breath Prayer: Inhale: The heavens declare… Exhale: …the glory of God.

May this Lenten season lead us to recognize God not only in worship, but in wisdom, wonder, and the steady witness of faithful work.

Amen.