Home – April 18, 1999
Perhaps the most enduring and important theme in all the world’s great literature is the search for home. From the great epic poems of antiquity to the most important plays and novels of our century, writers have depicted heroes lost and far from their loved ones, lonely and desperate for the refuge and comfort of home. Odysseus, the ancient Greek hero, was celebrated for his courage and good sense, but when we read of his journeys, we are most touched by his longing for his beloved wife, Penelope, and his agony over their long separation.
In our day, we realize that a home is more than a shelter. A home is a refuge from the storms of the world, a place of comfort and solace. A Child skins his knee and cries, and his first thought is to run home, knowing a loving parent will kiss it better. An adult, away from loved ones on a business trip, calls home, and children clamor to say a few words on the phone. And the happiest part of any long journey is that moment when the car pulls into the driveway and a family is again united.
Home is a refuge under siege, a shelter under attack. We know how badly we need our homes to be places of moral and emotional comfort. And yet creating a safe haven can be difficult. Our days are long, and our tempers can become short. It can be easy to give in to feelings of selfishness. Worldly influences from without and difficult schedules from within?all can combine to fill a home with the same tensions and traumas form which we want protection.
A father was having a particularly difficult time at work. A huge project was overdue, a deadline loomed, and he was spending every evening and every weekend at work. After one especially difficult day, he came home and slumped in his easy chair. Just then, a young daughter crawled upon his lap and asked if he would read her a story. His first impulse was to refuse and send her to bed early. But as he looked at her pleading eyes, he realized that his home was also her home. And by serving her, he was also fulfilling his own needs. Later he said to his wife, “Home is not just a place for me; it’s a place for us.”
When we make our homes places where we all work together, serve each other, and think of our loved ones before we think of ourselves, then our homes can become genuine havens. So when storms of life mount their relentless assault on our families, to find safety it’s just a matter of coming home.
Program #3635