Posted on: 13th October 2021

This month we have been thinking a lot about “home”, which is also the topic of our latest meditation (find us here).

What is your relationship with home? Many of us find ourselves starting to spend more time at home and indoors at this time of year; there’s less daylight, and the weather is becoming increasingly cold and more unpredictable. This can present genuine challenges to our wellbeing – both physical and mental – and perhaps this is something we are even more keenly aware of now, as the media begins to question what this winter with Coronavirus may look like. It may be tempting to isolate ourselves once again and withdraw from some or all of our social activities, or we may be keenly aware of those in need, such as those who don’t have homes, who have also lived through this difficult pandemic, and still need our love and kindness.

Isaiah 32:18 says, “My people will abide in a peaceful habitation, in secure dwellings, and in quiet resting places.” On the back of this pandemic and the ways we are continuing to care for and support others, what does this picture of home look like to you? You might imagine your house itself, the physical space; maybe the scene includes an activity or exercise, or your family and friends, too.

As with any promise that God makes to us, we have to choose to engage with it in order to reap the full benefits. Perhaps this time of year can provide us with a great opportunity to think about how we can partner with God to make our homes a place of rest and rejuvenation in the midst of uncertain times; not just for ourselves, but for all those who enter it too.

Emily Smith and Anna Bland

Leeds Methodist Mission