I recently had the opportunity to go to France. I love the people and the food, the architecture and the artwork. But there were also niggles too. People can tell you’re not a local just by looking at you. Your phone doesn’t work so well making it hard to find information. And my primitive French is distressing. While I’ve been using an app to learn for the first time since school, apparently ‘le cheval mange une pizza’ is not actually that helpful.

By contrast, there was something truly wonderful about being back in sunny Wellington and feeling deep down in my soul that I was home.

The challenge is that as followers of Jesus, we belong to a different kingdom. This world will never truly be home. The values of our culture mean that we carry a sense that we don’t really fit in.

The risk is that this discomfort can lead us to assume that something is wrong. We can strive to achieve and belong and measure up just like everyone else. We’ll do anything to feel at home even though it never fully satisfies.

In his paraphrase of Romans 12, Eugene Peterson writes, “Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking.”

It’s so true isn’t it? We don’t need to try to fit in, we just do it without thinking.

But I wonder if there’s a way to repurpose the discomfort. To ask God to remind us in those moments that it’s actually ok? What if they became opportunities to look forward to the day when we’ll see Jesus? You see then and only then will your soul fully feel like it’s at home because it’s the place you were made to be. I pray that the wonder of that day may help us deal with the realities of this day.

Much love,
Simon

P.S. If you’re still wondering, it means ‘the horse is eating a pizza’!

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