December 5: Homesick

So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord.*

Where is home? what does it mean to be homesick?
At the moment I am going through a phase where I really miss Germany. I call it homesickness. I miss the food, the people, the language, the weather...

To cope I have borrowed and watched a few German movies, I have started to listen to German praise music, I practice my German with a few friends, I even listened to a sermon in German, and last week I even had a Randler (beer and sprite)!

Sometimes, I miss other things, I miss the community and culture of Tanzania, the genuine and passionate praying and singing. But that's harder to replicate, except to find such a community.

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”**

So I am, and I am not a citizen of this world. Christians are called to live, but not of this world.

“Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. In my Father's house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.***

Where is home? Does it matter? How does that shape our actions and our attitudes?
I have a book on my "to read" list called 'Heaven is not my home' which is (i believe) advocating that God will make a new heaven and earth that will actually be married in a perfect unity, where God will be truly on earth, and so when Jesus returns we'll all be here, but it will be such a different here that it will be heaven! But that's just what I think it will tell me... :p
I quite like this idea. I have a few things I want to say about this idea. First, it allows us to enjoy, protect and restore the world around us, because we will have it for eternity. Second, it challenges us to think of where we belong. At the same time, I know and cherish the idea that Jesus has a place where he is in the New Jerusalem prepared for all who trust in Him. And that our life is hid with Christ in heaven.
What does that even mean? What does it mean to be a stranger? What does it mean to be a foreigner? an alien?

*Ephesians 2:19-21
**Revelations 21:1-4
***John 14:1-3