“He went home.” Luke 24:12

After seeing the empty tomb, Peter went home.

We can deduce from the context of the story and the sequence of events later that day on the road to Emmaus that Peter did not return to his home in Bethsaida, some 130+ kilometers from Jerusalem. He simply returned home to his community, friends, and family who were in Jerusalem for the Passover and the sorrowful days that followed. Peter didn’t go to his hometown after visiting the tomb; he went home.

Home is where our people are found. Home is a place of rest and safety. Home is where we can be with those who know us and love us, with the security of the space that enfolds us, held by the hearts of those who care for us and let us be. Home, in its best sense of the word, is sanctuary, a place where we are known and nurtured, fed and cared for, safe and centered. Returning home after the trauma of loss and death of a beloved can feel like a lonely place, but it is also a space where grief and bewilderment are met with loving care and tenderness of holy hospitality.

Peter went home.

Where do you go when you are tender, sad, and grieving?

Where is home for you?

Who is home for you?

What has returning home felt like?

How have you been home for another during their time of need, exhaustion, and bewilderment?

Prayer: Holy One, may I find my home in you. Help me be a safe and loving place for others when they are in need and grieving. Comfort and protect those who do not have a home or for whom home is unsafe. Help us be home for you and for each other, that shelter and safety, rest and healing are nurtured and received. Amen. Alleluia.

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