Each time we revisit today’s gospel I discover something new in it. Sometimes the “new” message is something that has touch my heart in the past that I need to be reminded of again. Other times I’m struck by something that seems so completely new that it’s as if it’s only just been added to the text as I read it. Today I’m reflecting on these words, which seem completely new to me. Jesus says to his disciples:
“Make your home in me, as I make mine in you.”
His words touch a deep yearning within us. We all have an inbuilt yearning for home. We all need a safe place where we can be accepted and nurtured, a place where we feel that we can belong, flourish and grow. That yearning seems especially sharp in times like these when so much that we assumed was solid has turned out to be fragile and uncertain.
The more aware we are of life’s challenges and fragility the more we recognise our need for a safe place. As the circumstances of the past few years erode our sense of safety and security Jesus’ words become a beacon of light, offering us love and hope. However fragile and uncertain our circumstances we can still find a safe place in him, a place where we can be held nurtured, grow and bear fruit.
How are you finding your way home to the heart of Christ this Eastertide?