"Maybe surrounded by a million people I still feel all alone, just wanna go home" - Michael Buble
I was struck today by the intense longing i have to go back home. I'll be going back home in 5 days for 2 weeks, and as the time draws closer my anticipation of being back amongst the people I know and love, the ones who love me. I’m literally ACHING to get back home; I feel restless and out of place away from my usual routine, my family and friends. I feel like my life is based there and knowing I’m only here temporarily leaves me with no desire to lay any roots here. I haven’t made any effort to cultivate friendships, activities etc cause I know I’ll soon be where I have real friends, to resume activities I love and enjoy.
It’s the same longing I’m called to develop in relation to my hearts to true home. There’s a reason Christians have always thought of the resurrection as a “coming home”. It’s meant to feel the same as how I feel about going to Melbourne from Dunedin. I’m meant to approach the whole world as I do Dunedin. My true home, where my life is based is not on earth at all, those that love me are not here. I should approach the idea of laying roots the same way; that it is only temporary that I’ll soon be where I have real love, where I can resume activities (i.e. worship) that fill me with joy and gladness, that make my soul sings.
Only problem I can only develop that mind frame if I truly make my base heaven and not here, if I cultivate relationships with those that love me up there. That I should develop an interest and a passion for the activities I will be doing there. If I know no-one up there, I’ve never loved doing the activities carried out there, how can I expect to be excited about “coming home” it wont be a home coming, it’ll be an exile!
I was struck by how often I said “back home” in everyday conversations here. I must mention Melbourne or back home at least once in every conversation I have! Everything is compared and contrasted with my life in Melbourne. I wish I had that same fervor for my heavenly home, that I constantly talked about it, that I compared everything I did to my life there, that I awaited it as eagerly as I await going to Melbourne. *sigh* I’m a long way from that, I barely know my family there, I don’t have a relationship with most of them.
‘For the Christians are distinguished from other men neither by country, nor language, nor the customs which they observe. They dwell in their own countries, but simply as sojourners. As citizens, they share in all things with others, and yet endure all things as if foreigners. Every foreign land is to them as their native country, and every land of their birth as a land of strangers. They pass their days on earth, but they are citizens of heaven. They obey the prescribed laws, and at the same time surpass the laws by their lives” – St Clement of Rome (epistle to Diognetus Chapter 5)
“It’ll all be alright, I’ll be home tonight, I’m coming back home” – micheal buble - I hope when the time comes mine will truly be a home coming
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