Homecoming weekend is upon us, and soon, thousands of PSU alumni will flood the town and the campus in their return “home.” It is remarkable that thousands and thousands of people who no longer live here at the university consider this place home. Despite how long ago their college years may have been, the fact that this school and this community were a significant part of their journey matters.
What is home for you? A familiar place? Somewhere you spent important time and had important experiences? A community that knows you and welcomes you when you return? The place where people you love surround you? A place filled with struggles and transitions? Somewhere far away?
What do you feel like when you are at home? Welcomed? Serene? Challenged? Uncertain? Able to rest? Cared for? Misunderstood? Or none of those things?
Sometimes students say that LSC, our community of faith, is their “home away from home.” What I hope that means is that they feel able to relax, let their guard down, and be their authentic selves in the context of a community of students who welcomes them as they are. This doesn’t mean that there won’t be conversations or ideas that challenge, or that hard topics are off limits. It means that people are welcomed. They are invited to rest and find refreshment. They are supported in struggles, celebrated in accomplishments. They are loved, just as they are.
As Homecoming surrounds us, enjoy the celebration. And give some thought to the places that are home to you. Why do they matter? How have they impacted your life? What are you looking for in a home today? What do you want to make in your next home? And trust that whatever home looks like for you, God’s love and welcome are there. –ara
Prayer
God of Grace,
Home is a complex thing.
Sometimes I struggle to feel at home anywhere.
And other times I am grateful for places where I find rest and welcome and acceptance.
Help me to find healthy places to belong.
Help me to connect with people who sincerely care for me.
Help me find communities that value compassion and selflessness.
Help me to be at home in places where I am valued, but not used.
Guide me to offer a home-like welcome to people I meet.
Guide me to shape the groups and communities I am in to be places of care and help.
Fill me with your presence and help me find my home in you.
Amen.