Some of us never leave
home. I have three younger brothers and
one younger sister. Three of us went
away for college. Two of my brothers have
never lived anywhere other than Kansas City.
You might call them homebodies.
Some of us leave home and
never return. The pastor of the church
that I grew up in had three children.
All of them went away for college and then moved to other parts of the
country. They return home periodically
to visit their dad, but they have not come home to stay.
Some of us leave home for
a time only to return home later. My
military experience took me all over the United States and to Europe
twice. I have seen more of this world than
I ever thought I would. However, after the
completion of my second enlistment, I returned home. My sister left home to go to University of
Kansas and then after graduation moved to Los Angeles. A decade later, she and her husband moved to
Dallas. Another decade later, they moved
to Atlanta. A few years ago, my
brother-in-law (a native of Philadelphia) retired and they returned to my
sister’s ancestral home – Kansas City.
Some of us leave only to later return.
There is a saying that
most of us have heard – “home is where the heart is.” Its earliest iteration came from an unsigned
poem published in 1829. I believe we all
recognize that we can call almost anywhere home. However, there is something about the place
of our origin, the place of our rootedness.
We can try to run away from it only to discover that the tentacles of
home tug at us. We also know that some
of us stay home only to become cold, callous, and complacent about the warm
embrace of it. All I know is that when I
returned home, the memories where palatable and the fragrance was soul
settling. Whatever it was that was
restless within me became instantaneously calm or as near calm as one can be. I was home.
I am 100% convinced that
this true of a faith community as well.
It is home for many of us. Some
of us have wandered away into the restless world thinking that somehow it’s riches
and luxury could make the “far off country” livable. However, it did not and will not. The only place that we will find true joy and
peace is at home with God. Others of us
stayed home, stayed in our pew in our church.
We have been dutiful yet joy has been elusive. Duty, keeping the rules, trying to keep
others in line, teaching others the doctrines and rigid disciplines of faith somehow
managed to leave us empty. We wonder
what the purpose was or what will be our reward? Yet, God stands waiting for us to enter into
a relationship of grace instead of merit.
I truly admire the person who has stayed home, left home, or left home
and returned to flourish in God’s grace.
From the outset, they desired and lived into a mutual relationship with
God. They know what it means for God to
be their creator, Jesus their savior, and the Holy Spirit to be their
sustainer. Joy was, is and continues to
be a flowering gift overflowing to the world.
I often wish that were what others could see – how at home we all are
when we are together in the presence of God.
I invite you to take time
and read each of the scriptures above followed by reflection on the questions
below. Wrestle with the ways in which
you feel at home or far away. Lastly, I
pray that God bless the reading of God’s Word and the meditations of your
heart.