Homeward bound

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Francis Gonsalves [1]

Life is a yatra with goings and comings. Birds return to nests and sheep to sheepfolds, while homecoming is happiness for most people who hurry towards home, sweet home!
The Bible has stirring stories of homecoming. Christian consciousness has traces of “paradise lost” — a state of human separation from God — which creates restlessness in the human heart longing to reach its true home: heaven. After the Creation narrative, the first homecoming is that of Noah and his family to dry land after the flood.
The Bible records homecomings of individuals: Jacob’s return to his birthplace after a 20-year sojourn in Haran, Moses’ return to Egypt after 60 years in Midian and Naomi’s return to Bethlehem (Ruth 1:19-22). After Israel’s exile in Egypt, there’s the idea of a “national homecoming” although the patriarchs never owned Palestine, and of a “second homecoming” after the Babylonian exile.
Jesus is rejected at his homecoming to Nazareth. “A prophet is not without honour except in his own country and in his own house,” (Matthew 13:57), says he; and gospel-writer John says of Jesus, “He came to his own home, and his own people did not accept him” (1:11).
A famous homecoming parable is of the “prodigal son” who, after deserting his father for a life of debauchery, returns home to a rousing reception (Luke 15:11-32). The father seems crazy. Instead of rebuking his son for his dissolute behaviour, he embraces him, gifts him finest robes and throws a party. Here, Jesus depicts God as a compassionate, forgiving Father.
Jesus portrays our earthly yatra as a homecoming to “my Father’s house where there are many dwelling places” (John 14:1-4). This engenders hope to those who love and serve as Jesus did.
November brings Christians face to face with homecoming. On November 1, we commemorate the saints and on November 2, the dead. It’s good to reflect on death occasionally so as to live life fully, here and now, and to face death peacefully when it actually comes.
The Gitanjali Album is a heartrending collection of poems penned by Gitanjali (16), a Sikh, who died of cancer. She wrote: “I pray to God that He will be with me and give me courage to face death. I know God is waiting for me. As for me, I’m not afraid to face Him.”
The Bible advises us “to lay aside every weight” (Hebrews 12:1) as we journey towards fullness. “No eye has seen, nor ear has heard, nor the human heart conceived, what God has prepared for those who love him,” writes Paul. Today, let’s bid “goodbye” to trifles that matter little so as to boldly bid that last “goodbye” to our friends — and hear God’s “welcome!” Home, at last.

Francis Gonsalves is the principal of the Vidyajyoti College of Theology, Delhi. He can be contacted at fragons@gmail.com [2]