The Meaning of Home
written by David McClain, Head of Friendship Christian School—originally published 01/15/24 for the FCS blog
Home is a powerful word.
Over 1,000 movie titles have the word “home” in them, and home is a central, emotional motif of much literature and art in general.
Earlier this year, we had our “FCS Homecoming” event to welcome our alumni back and celebrate the students who will become our next group of alumni in May.
Whether you’ve gone away to war, college, or vacation, coming home just feels special.
I can’t imagine how difficult it must be for those who genuinely have to live each day without home or with the sense that they don’t belong anywhere due to sin, death, racism, or selfish rejection.
The longing for a home is heightened for those who feel estranged or lost.
Scripture gives us a few examples of homecomings.
In Luke 15, Jesus tells the famous account of a wayward son who finds himself lost and broken after turning his back on his home. Covered in pig slop and all alone, he comes to yearn for the home that he had left behind, but he struggles with feelings of unworthiness.
Finally, walking down that old familiar dirt lane, he comes face to face with a loving, overjoyed father who wraps him in a bear hug. I like to imagine that as they embraced that boy inhaled deeply the familiar scent of his father and realized he was home again.
From that day on, home meant something completely different to him than it ever had before.
In the early chapters of the book of Joshua, we find the children of Israel finally coming into possession of a home that was fully unfamiliar to them—a home possessed by others but promised long ago to Abraham for his descendants.
In the midst of this “moving in” process, we are introduced to Rahab.
Her home was an evil place full of wickedness. As she heard about the children of Israel, she came to a decision. Much like the Israelites, she decided to turn her back on her familiar premise of home and make her real home with the people of the one, true God—Jehovah. While the Israelites had to be dragged away from Egypt, Rahab was eager to go and dwell with the Lord in faith wherever that may be.
In Hebrews 13, just two chapters after listing Rahab in the Hall of Faith (Hebrews 11:31), we read these words:
For here have we no continuing city, but we seek one to come.
Hebrews 13:14
We are not home in this world—we are not to feel at home.
The only home we should long for is the presence of God and His people. Whether crossing the desert or living in Canaan, God tabernacled with His people, and they were home.
The pain, suffering, and sin-sickness of this world should serve to make us feel less and less at home here while also driving us to God’s presence for our sense of being home.
Heaven will be sweet not because of its beauty or lack of death; rather it will be so sweet because we will feel the tight embrace of our heavenly Father and know that, finally, we are home.
Just think of stepping on shore—and finding it heaven!
Finally Home by L. E. Singer
Of touching a hand—and finding it God’s!
Of breathing new air—and finding it celestial!
Of waking up in glory—and finding it home!