Journey As Well As Home

Recently I induce got had the occasion to render to a majority I read a few years ago.  Big Questions, Worthy Dreams was written past times Sharon Daloz Parks, outset published inwards 2000 too forthwith available inwards an expanded recent version.  I induce got been next Parks’ writings for quite a long time.  In fact I tried to larn her to bring together my faculty 1 time upon a time.  Her majority deals amongst how faith develops amid younger people, primarily high schoolhouse too college-aged students.  Her subtitle tells it all: Mentoring Young Adults inwards Their Search for Meaning, Purpose, too Faith.  Since this is the historic stream grouping amongst which I induce got spent then much of my time, I wanted to know what her enquiry revealed.
   
In 1 of her chapters she deals amongst the ikon (or metaphor) of home.  Rightly, she notes that ikon is non used to the extent its parallel ikon is used, namely, journey.  If you lot read the spiritual literature of the church building or other religious traditions, ofttimes you lot observe the ikon of journey.  Easily, nosotros speak nearly our faith journey.  Sometimes it is described from when nosotros outset came to faith until now.  Usually, the journeying has its ups too downs.  It is non a straight-line trip from faith to spousal human relationship amongst God.
   
I am rattling aware of how this ikon of journeying has played a telephone substitution purpose inwards my ain life.  I also realize how many times the Quaker meetings or churches of which I was a business office would enquire somebody who wanted to bring together our ranks to portion their faith journey.  Quakers ever establish this to move to a greater extent than revealing too meaning that bespeak nearly theological beliefs.  Their floor of journeying was ever interesting.
   
But I induce got never heard whatsoever Quaker gang enquire somebody to depict their feel of spiritual abode or how they induce got homesteaded inwards their faith.  After reading Parks, I take in this every bit an oversight.  Let’s await at to a greater extent than or less of her ideas to take in how rich the ikon of abode is.  Early inwards that chapter Parks makes a bold claim.  She says, “It has been said that abode is the most powerful discussion inwards the English linguistic communication language.”  It is a bold statement, simply in all probability truthful for many of us.
   
Parks develops her analysis.  She says abode “is where nosotros laid about from.  To move at abode is to induce got a identify inwards the system of life---a identify where nosotros are comfortable; know that nosotros belong; tin move who nosotros are; too tin honor, protect, too create what nosotros genuinely love.”  As I ponder Parks’ words, I realize I induce got a fairly rigid feel of home.  I grew upwards on an Indiana farm, then that life was quite stable.  When you lot milk dairy cows twice daily, routine is a given.  I grew upwards on the farm that had been my grandfather’s land, then a history to the place. 
   
Parks is correct.  Home is where nosotros laid about from.  My outset memories are of that place.  And the identify came amongst people---parents, grandpa, neighbors too afterward a blood brother too sister.  Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 dyad years agone on a trip to Indiana, I drove to my quondam hometown to take in the farm.  It has been decades since I lived there.  There was plenty familiarity, I recognized the place.  But to a greater extent than significantly, then much had changed.  It is hard to me to know how much alter was due to the identify too how much of the alter was due to me.  The menage was smaller than I recall. 
   
What this tells me is fifty-fifty the ikon of home, which suggests stability, dependability, etc., is a static image.  This a practiced identify to hollo upwards what Parks says nearly home.  She tells us abode is to induce got a identify inwards the system of life.  Whatever the quondam “home place” turns out to be, it provided a system of life for my bring upwards too development. Thinking nearly abode is a identify of comfort---to this rattling day.  Of course, non every solar daytime at abode growing upwards every bit a tiddler was idyllic.  It was a existent home---not to a greater extent than or less make-believe place.  The ikon of abode is non a stain free, no troubles sort of place.  My abode was existent too sometimes, I’m sure, in that location was almost also much reality!
   
The side past times side signal Parks makes is my favorite.  Home is a identify where nosotros know nosotros belong. I never had whatsoever query simply what it was “my” home.  It was where I belonged.  Parks adds to this when she acknowledges abode is the identify where nosotros tin move who nosotros are.  This is rattling important.  I tin mean value of many other places where I lived where it was non real.  I mean value of graduate schoolhouse where I mean value I spent also much fourth dimension trying to move somebody I was actually not.  I don’t know that I actually belonged.  Many of the purpose models didn’t tally who I would become.
   
As I mean value back, I was going through my ain faith development.  I had non read Parks yet.  She would induce got been helpful.  What I in all probability did realize, however, was the incredibly rich resources my ikon of abode was.  By graduate schoolhouse I knew I would never drib dead back.  But I also knew that ikon would ever move mine.  It was business office of the centre of who I was too would become. 
   
I don’t mean value rattling much whatsoever to a greater extent than nearly that master copy home.  But I know it is amongst me---deep within my soul.  I am grateful for it.  And for all the journeying yet to do, I volition ever induce got abode amongst me.   
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