New York City, New Year’s Eve 2023; a surging restless tsunami-like tide of humanity. All of them heading toward Times Square. Amongst it all I feel like a cork on the ocean, struggling to stay afloat as a million bodies jostle about.
At last I make landfall on a small island of calm, the Galaxy Diner on W46th Street. They are playing Michael Bublé. The lyric of his hit single “Home” reverberates in my ears. “Surrounded by a million people I still feel all alone. I want to go home.”
There in that diner I realise home is not a place at all, it’s a feeling.
Burt Bacharach eluded to this feeling too: A house is not a home, he wrote. Nor are the possessions that fill it. These things can be snatched away from us in an instant. On the other hand, it occurs to me that home is something far more permanent.
What is home?
Home is when we feel we are one with those we love and those who love us. I believe we are most at home when we feel most complete in ourselves. Buddhists call it a state of Nirvana. Jesus called it the kingdom of God. Mohamed referred to it as paradise. It’s not a place, it’s a metaphor.
In fact, the Irish-American scholar and historian John Dominic Crossan said home is one of the most powerful metaphors. He insists the idea of ‘a home’ drives our very existence.
Can you own a home?
Alas, coveting a physical sense of place as ‘home’ only encourages violence and destruction.
Since the beginnings of time humanity has fought over the homes or homelands they want to possess. Alas we can’t ever own them.
Where to find home
We all yearn for that sense of home. A time when our existential loneliness will end and we feel belonging.
Home is where the heart is. It is inside each and every one of us. However, finding it takes courage. It takes being brave enough to surrender to love. We all need one another and the answers we seek lie in loving one another.
That’s where we find home; in surrendering to the power of love. What’s more, that’s where home finds us.
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Coming home is a warm feeling of security and love
Yes! God bless you Bruce!
Very pertinent
God bless you mate, Bill
Thank you Rev. Bill for such a powerful piece
God bless you Mohammad, see you soon.
Home is love this is profound
Love is giving of one’s self
In kind and caring way
Love makes us complete
I so enjoy reading your script
Makes a lot of sense
Thank you for sharing your insight
What a beautiful soul, you’ve got, God Bless Bill.
Thank you Rev Bill, your words provide hope for humanity. I believe love can conquer all. The warmth felt from being surrounded by people who love you can act as a shelter to life’s harsh elements at times. Whilst it will not substitute food, the wonderful work that your foundation and shelters offer fulfils that need. I am proud to be one of your new 2023 Sydney volunteers and look forward to helping more in my home town of Sydney in 2024.
Welcome to the fold! God bless, Bill
I loved your words. So true that all things we own are not home. You need love and understanding. If these are not in your heart you have nothing. You do a great job helping others. I was amazed doing the volunteering with you. 2023 is my first time and hope to do this in 2024 also
We are so happy to have you here. God bless you Bill
Being loved and a sense of belonging are important- but let’s be careful of not promoting snobbery- sometimes we have to love those we don’t understand and who actively and aggressively hate us. We live in culture that worships boundaries and protecting our self-esteem and mood. But Jesus was not a snob, he associated with adulterers, prostitutes, tax collectors and everyone he wasn’t supposed to. Ghandi too was no snob- his idea of a good day was to hang out with all the poor and hard-done-bys.