There’s No Place Like Home
“Home, home, sweet, sweet home, Be it ever so humble, there’s no place like home.”1 For most of us, no matter who we are or where we go in life, there is always a particular place in some corner of the world we can call our own. And there is no better way to appreciate this spot than to be away from it. Those who spend much of their time travelling are the first to admit that the best part of any trip is the return home.
We are now approaching the end of the vacation season in this country and although the sights and experiences may have been rejuvenating there is still an inner sense of relief that comes in finally returning to the place, we call home. It doesn’t seem to matter whether we’ve stayed in luxurious hotels or camped on a mountain trail, home is still the most cherished place of all, and there are few who return who don’t happily sigh “It’s great to be home!”
Revisit sometime a house you once lived in. You will find that your feelings about it are not the same. Many fond memories may be rekindled, but your former home and fortress seems like a mere shell. The feeling of belonging – the comfort and security you once knew are gone.
What makes a home so special? Among other things it provides a focal point for us in life, a starting place for all we do and a retreat to soothe our fatigue and wounds. But the most important ingredient in a home is love. Anyone can build a house, but it takes love to build a home. Many have left their homes – young and old alike – because they felt there was no love for them there, and without love all the pleasures of a home are meaningless. We must not make the mistake of providing only the material house. We must fill it with love.
Dr. John Henry Jowett once described a home as a place of affection, of fervent hope and genial trust. He said, “The New Testament does not say very much about homes; it says a great deal about things that make 1·hem. It speaks of life and love and joy and peace and rest. If we get a house and put these into it, we shall have secured a home.”2 In the song “Home, Sweet Home” John Payne reminds us, ” ‘Mid pleasures and palaces though we may roam, Be it ever so humble, there’s no place like home.”2
1John Howard Payne, “Home, Sweet Home,” from the first act of his opera, Clari, The Maid of Milan
2Mr. John Henry Jowett (1864-1923), British-American clergyman
September 03, 1972
Broadcast Number 2,241