There’s a couch at a friends’ home that I always sit in when I’m there. For sure, there are several other places I could sit. But over time, the right corner of the couch has become my “nook” whenever I’m there. I can nestle down on into the cushions, and I feel at home…even though I’m not in my home. I can let a load off from the day, and I can allow my body to relax.
Whether in our own home, in the home of another, in another building, or outside, many of us may have those “dwelling places” where we feel “at home.” Places where we can be ourselves – fully – and places where we can allow ourselves to be still…even for just a moment.
Well, in this past Sunday’s Gospel, Jesus promises that he is going to prepare those places for his disciples to dwell with him. He promises to create spaces – here and now! – where we can remain in God’s presence, where we can be ourselves without fear of repercussions, and where we can allow ourselves to sink into the mercy of our Father.
God has created those spaces for us. But even more than physical spaces, as we discovered on Sunday morning, the space that Jesus has created for us is not so much a physical place. Rather, what Jesus promised his disciples, and promises us, is that Jesus has created a space for us to dwell in him, and for him to dwell in us. Instead of co-existing together, it’s almost as if we become like an Alka-Seltzer tablet…dissolving into one with our Lord.
So this week, as you find yourself going from place to place, consider the places that you frequent that you might call “home.” And, going one step further, take a moment to recognize the home that God has made in you, and that you have in Christ. On a day to day basis, we might not always have the luxury of landing on our favorite spot on the couch. But we always, always, have the promise of living as one – at home – with our Lord.