Since I came back to Ontario a couple weeks ago I’ve been reflecting quite a bit about where I am at. Things are good right now- I went to Fair Havens for a week of work and then got offered a sweet gig at The Gateway for full time work for exactly one month- which honestly couldn’t have worked out better. Then at the end of the month I’m going to Israel until Christmas- can you believe that? me neither. Beyond that I don’t know where I’ll be which has been the source of much reflection. Where do I want to be? How much do I really just want to be part of a community right now? What if I don’t find that there? This time of being away for an extended (indefinite?) has caused me think about how lucky people with roots actually are.
When I came back to Canada a couple weeks ago I moved my stuff straight into a new house (parents moved) and then visited old friends and old house mates in Toronto when I began to have this sinking feeling that I am in complete transition and that I am without a home per se. I don’t feel that comfortable in Vineland (where my parents moved), Toronto is nice and I love the people very much but their lives have continued on and I’m not the player I once was in the story there- the show did go on. When I was at camp it certainly did not feel like the home it once felt like and soon I will be in Israel where- unless I am off on this one, it won’t feel like home.
What did feel like home- which took me completely by surprise was Philadelphia or rather, the people in Philadelphia. In fact, I think if you took those people and brought them here I would feel a whole lot better. I spoke with Nathan about this today and he seemed pretty excited as he said ‘your home is with people now and not places…’. I love Nathan.
So people and not places- I think I have known that all along but the trouble is that good communities have a place where the people live and eat and breath and play. It’s home because the people have a physical, concrete place to do life together. Perhaps that’s what’s missing- the consistency of the people in one place.
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In other news,
Faith, Hope and Love went to Africa today and she will have great stories on her blog about pre-Africa happenings at her her church and about her time in Kenya. There’s probably nothing there right now but you just wait.
Shannon is in Nicarauga right now and apparently living it up.
Ian and Lauren are in Winnipeg. (had to have a Mclaren link in this post)
September 11, 2007 at 3:41 am |
Miss you Christopher.
September 11, 2007 at 4:33 am |
We miss you Chris. It was wonderful having you around. Providence is missing you and Janell and now Faith. Home is very empty with Susan and Faith in Africa and Katie now Married.
September 11, 2007 at 4:44 pm |
Chris
I’m glad to hear that you’ve had more time to reflect. I feel I can sorta relate… home is with people now and not places. People are what it’s all about. Being in right relationship with Him and them… etc. The good thing about that, is that you will be able to find home wherever you’re led — although some places might take longer than others to do so.
Part of my challenge right now is that I can’t communicate with anybody — i wish I knew Spanish! grr… but it is great.
Living it up haha..
Miss you. And, you are hilarious. In case nobody told you today.
September 13, 2007 at 6:45 pm |
Chris……your home is with people and not a place!!!! Missing you and wishing you could be in Africa too.
September 15, 2007 at 5:24 pm |
Hey Chris,
I justed wanted to let you know you’re not alone in how you’re feeling. Over the past couple of days, God has renewed my perspective and restored in me a worldview I haven’t had for years. It has to do with being ok to be a vagabond, of sorts.
We’re all familiar with Jesus’ claim in Luke 9:58, “Foxes have holes, the birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.” God just kept drilling this into my head over the past week. What struck me, and this may seem obvious, is that Jesus said this in response to a man’s desire to follow him.
Anyway, be encouraged and know that Jesus himself provided the template for us to follow. I’ll leave you with this. Later in Luke, chapter 18, is another familiar encounter; that of the rich ruler. Again, we’re familiar with the gist of the teaching – that it is difficult for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God. But Jesus goes a step further. In response to the question, “Who then can be saved?”, Jesus replies (18:29-30), “I tell you the truth,no one who has left home or wife or brothers or parents or children for the sake of the kingdom of God will fail to receive many times as much in this age and, in the age to come, eternal life.”
Blessings
September 16, 2007 at 10:39 pm |
Lewis!!!
Oh man… you have no idea how good it was for me to read this. You are totally not in this alone… I mean I’m not going to Israel or anything anytime soon but I did just move back in with my parents and while I will always have “home” with them it’s just so different being away from friends and amazing community… and it’s so temporary. I think for a lot of us the past few years have included a series of 8-12 month “homes” where we develop relationships with people who we can’t bear to leave but know we must. I just moved all my stuff “home” to my parents place and started an MA at MacDiv… and I visited Toronto this weekend… got to see lots of great friends and really didn’t want to leave but I was totally reminded of how blessed I am to have so many amazing people in my life… but also reminded that I will always have a home… I will always have these amazing friends who love me and make it feel like home… I’d better wrap this up before I burst out into a little Norah Jones…
This got long and out of hand… sorry… Wow that got cheesy even for me… but you know what I’m trying to say. A lot of us are feeling it.
Thinking of you.
S.Locke
September 28, 2007 at 12:09 am |
I saw your picture pop up on a sidebar on facebook and wanted to know how you were doing, so here I am, reading a post that exemplifies how myself and most people I know are feeling. We all want to be part of a grounded community, yet I feel also that so many of us are restless here in suburbia or even in the inner city, living “regular” lives. I think there is a deep pull toward deep communal experiences, and I’m trying to figure out what that is going to look like for me. We are all connected in our feeling of nomad-ness. weird.
October 3, 2007 at 3:47 pm |
clewliss – im feelin it… I LOVE PEOPLE!
keep this blog updated so we know youre alive… or at least for right now…. did you make it to israel? are you alive?