I have had many assistants I’ve worked with over my life. Two in particular hold a special place in my heart. Debbie, who was my long-time assistant when I practiced law, and Cathy, who worked with me at the Department of Justice. After I moved to DC, I told Cathy I would need to take a day off ( wishful thinking) to get my car licensed and to get a new driver’s license. She told me that wasn’t necessary. If one holds a position in the federal government that has to be confirmed by the Senate, that individual retains the citizenship of his home state. She said, “Judge, one shouldn’t have to give up one’s home to serve his country.” Her words have stuck with me. To serve one’s country in any capacity is an honor that needs to be recognized by the one who serves, and those he/she serves.
As I thought of home and Lent I had an observation. We all have a little bit of wanderer, adventurer, and traveler in each of us. Whether at some point we walk the Camino , climb Kilimanjaro, or get in a motor home and visit all fifty states we all dream of getting out and about. Even couch potatoes live out their dreams in watching others play football or walk the red carpet. There is a little of us that wants to go somewhere or be somewhere else.
No matter how wonderful a place I’ve been, there is a time I’m ready to come home, to sleep in my own bed, and see my friends and family. Just as there is a traveler in each of us, we also all have a place we call home. We may not live there at this moment, there is a home somewhere out there.
Lent is about returning to another kind of home — the comfort and warmth of God’s love. No matter how far our traveling juices have taken us away from that home, we are always welcome to return to God’s home. Think of Lent as the journey “Home.”
Leave a Reply +