“Welcome Home”
by Katie Stewart (shared in worship on Easter, 2020)
In her poem, “The Summer Day,” Mary Oliver asks, “Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life.”
Even, and maybe especially, in these scary times, I’ll tell you what I want to do. I want to hope recklessly. I want to hope with abandon. I want a soft and open heart that is willing to risk great hurt.
I want this because I believe this is the doorway into abundance and because I believe this is the heart of our mother and father God for her children.
My husband and I were recently talking about the story of the prodigal son. The son who was welcomed home with abundance and abandon after causing his father great hurt. And my husband asked – what if he leaves again? What if he had never come back?
Would the father keep welcoming him home again and again? Would his father ever stop hoping for his return? Would the hurt become too much? I couldn’t say I’d blame him.
But, here’s the thing – deep in my soul – I believe our mother and father God continue to welcome us home. I believe the father in Jesus’ story would do the same – would continue to joyfully welcome his son home again and again – never losing hope for his return. And I don’t believe that the father’s heart would break any less each time his son left – or leap with any less joy each time he sees a glimpse of his son on the horizon, headed towards home. I can’t help but believe this father would keep hoping recklessly.
A couple of years ago, during a rough season – I heard this song by Joy Williams – certain at the time, that it was about this story – the prodigal son – and it goes like this:
Hello, I've been waiting for you
I didn't know if you'd recognize my voice
Cause I've been whispering your name again and again
I've been imagining this day and I'll never be the same
Welcome home
Welcome home
It's so good to see your face
Welcome home
We dance and sometimes only fall
We sing even when there are no words
And I hope love lifts you up again and again
And if you ever lose your way, let me be the first to say
Welcome home
Welcome home
It's so good to see your face
Welcome home
Come inside from the cold and rest your weary soul
You belong, you are loved, you are wanted
You're not alone
I've missed you so
Welcome home
Welcome home
Without you here, it's not the same
And I've been waiting here
Welcome home
I’ve since learned that she wrote these words to the son in her womb – after several heart-breaking miscarriages. Hoping recklessly and with abandon to welcome home this new life. As my husband and I are welcoming home our baby girl this summer, during this fearful time, these words have new meaning to us.
In this season, I want to hope recklessly, maybe not unlike Mary Magdalene, who, while she was looking for the body of her crucified Jesus at the tomb, was called by an angel to “remember what he told you, that he would rise again.” And then, Mary was able remember, deep in her soul, that her crucified Jesus, is now the risen Christ. In Luke’s account, she never saw the risen Christ with her eyes, but that deep soul remembering was more than enough to tell the story and to live in its hope.
And, I believe, that our mother and father God, continue to hope recklessly for us. Whether these are the words of a new mother, a faithful father, or a risen Christ – I believe they are sung over us – “You belong, you are loved, you are wanted, you are not alone. I’ve missed you so. Welcome home.”