Coming Home

Yesterday our holiday in Scotland ended. Starting at 07.30 we left behind the Scottish hills and lochs, travelling South to Glasgow and then back into England. Delayed by road works, road closures, Friday evening traffic, and an accident, we finally arrived home at 23.00.

It’s home because it’s…

..Lowestoft – familiar surroundings. We were dropped off outside our local Asda store; I’ve walked along our beach this morning.

…the house we’ve lived in for thirty-nine years – our bed, our shower, our food in our fridge… squirrels eating from our bird feeders, seeing our dahlias in flower…

…people we belong with: daughter-Jo picked us up from the coach last night… Later I’ll go to Men’s Shed – our friendship home… Tomorrow we’ll go to church – our spiritual home.

Coming home in the coach yesterday I read ‘Where the Crawdads Sing’. I’d seen the film but not read the book. It tells the story of Kya. Abandoned by her family as a small girl she survives alone in a shack, in the marshes. Growing up she’s the ‘Marsh Girl’ – different, self-sufficient, not part of the local community.  

Kya’s accused of a murder. Summing up at her trial her lawyer describes the prejudice and rejection that she’s been subjected to: ‘We didn’t help her… not one of our churches or community groups offered her food or clothes. Instead we labelled and rejected her because we thought she was different… did we exclude (Kya) because she was different, or was she different because we excluded her?’

He accuses the community of not accepting Kya. They haven’t given her a home or made her feel at home.

Jesus talks about feeding the hungry, giving the thirsty a drink, welcoming the stranger, providing clothes for the poor, visiting the sick or imprisoned. He’s talking about making people feel wanted, valued, appreciated… enabling the disadvantaged or rejected to be provided with a home, to feel at home, to come home.

Jesus tasks his followers with making his happen.