being at home

 

“Make yourself at home!” said the warden in the cathedral of Osijek to me. We are right in the middle of our Summer-mission-trip and one day I just needed some time to be alone and sit and write about the many things which happened in the past few months. And of course there is always enough to think about.
I had seen this man, sitting behind his table, watching people coming and going, the whole day long, to pray, to sit, just to be quiet. Finally after a few hours and a little bit of eye contact the man came and spoke to me a few English words. He didn’t find it odd that I was sitting there, not to pray for a minute, but to write for hours. And I really appreciated that in this man. He gave me room to be. He didn’t come immediately, but only after two hours and, we could hardly exchange words anyway, because I only know a few Croatian words.
But when he came, he came just as he was. An ordinary local man from the town. And at the same time very precious to me. He blessed me with a few words and let me know that I should feel at home here in this house of the Lord. I thanked him and was reminded of psalm 134

Oh, praise the Lord, all you servants of the Lord,

you who serve day and night in the house of the Lord.

A few days before we came as a family to see the church, since we are staying at a house just a few blocks away. And Jelle made this picture (see above.) It hit me. It is awful and beautiful at the same time. You see the Resurrection of Jesus in all glory, the angels worshiping him, the soldiers deeply scared and we can also see the scars of the war in the wall. This whole picture breaths and is waiting for the coming of the Kingdom which is now not yet full.
And while I was writing about the recent months I was filled with the strange feeling that we can be so very much at home in a place we have never been in before. Being at home is often not related to a building or a house. Let the Lord be our dwelling place and I hope that we are often dwell at this place. Where ever you might be. And that you feel at home.