A Heart for Home

G.K. Chesterton once wrote, “There are two ways of getting home; and one of them is to stay there. The other is to walk round the whole world till we come back to the same place.” It’s a profound observation about the nature of longing, perspective, and the human heart. Sometimes, we’re too close to something to truly see its value. It takes distance—and often the hard lessons of the road—to recognize what was ours all along.

For some, the restless pull of the world is irresistible. Adventure beckons, promising new experiences, greater understanding, or perhaps an escape from the ordinary. We set out, fueled by the belief that the next horizon holds the answers we’ve been searching for. But as we walk farther and farther from the familiar, something stirs deep within us. A quiet, persistent voice reminds us of where we started.

I’ve often wondered why this happens—why the pull of home becomes stronger the farther we go. Perhaps it’s because home is more than a physical place. It’s where our roots are planted, where love and grace first found us. It’s where our hearts are known, even when we lose sight of who we are.

Chesterton suggests that some people are too close to the truth to see it clearly. They live in the shadow of its beauty, unable to appreciate it because they’ve never seen the alternative. And so, stepping away—even for a time—can be a way of gaining perspective. The danger, of course, is that the farther we step from the Creator, the greater the risk of losing our way entirely.

We see this same sentiment in the Odyssey. Odysseus, like many of us, is driven by a longing for home, but his journey is also one of self-discovery, of carving out a legacy and a name for himself. While his heart pulls him back to Ithaca, his desire for glory and recognition leads him away from it time and again. The tension between these two forces—the yearning for the comfort and familiarity of home and the temptation to wander in search of fame or meaning—drives his epic journey. Yet, despite all his trials and triumphs, it is only when he returns to his homeland that he finds true peace, not in the world he sought to conquer, but in the quiet, steadfast place where he was always meant to be. This dual pull is a reflection of the human condition: we often wander far from home, seeking something beyond ourselves, only to realize that the heart finds its true purpose in the places where it first belonged.

“My heart longs to return to my home and see the day of my return. My heart is not set on these other things, no matter how they may appear. Only Ithaca is what I long for.” (Homer, The Odyssey, Book 9, lines 34–35)

In Scripture, our "home" is often described in both spiritual and physical terms, pointing to a deeper longing that transcends earthly dwellings. Here are a few key perspectives on where our home is:

1. Home as God's Presence:
   In the Old and New Testaments, home is fundamentally found in the presence of God. For instance, Psalm 27:4 expresses the psalmist’s desire to dwell in the house of the Lord: “One thing I ask from the Lord, this only do I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze on the beauty of the Lord and to seek him in his temple.” Home, in this sense, is where we find intimate fellowship with God, and the fulfillment of our deepest longings for peace, security, and purpose.

2. The Kingdom of God:
   Jesus speaks of the Kingdom of God as our true home, where we are citizens and where our true identity and inheritance lie. In John 14:2-3, Jesus reassures His followers: “My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you?” This reference to God’s heavenly dwelling signifies a home prepared for believers in eternity—a place of belonging with God that surpasses any earthly dwelling.

3. Home in Christ:
   In the New Testament, believers are told that their true identity and home are found in Christ. In Philippians 3:20, Paul writes, “But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ.” This idea of being “citizens of heaven” suggests that while we may live on earth, our ultimate home and true belonging is with God in His eternal Kingdom.

4. Home as the Promised Land:
   For the Israelites, home was a physical place—the land promised to Abraham’s descendants. This promised land was symbolic of the broader promise of God's presence and peace. In Hebrews 11:10, it says of Abraham, “For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God.” The Promised Land pointed to a heavenly city, the ultimate home where God’s people will dwell in His eternal peace.

5. The New Heaven and New Earth:
   The ultimate expression of home in Scripture is the New Heaven and New Earth described in Revelation 21:1-3: “Then I saw ‘a new heaven and a new earth,’ for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, ‘Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them.’” This final, eternal home is where God will dwell with His people, and it is the fulfillment of all the longings for belonging, peace, and eternal fellowship with Him.

In these ways, Scripture teaches that our true home is not necessarily a physical place we can point to on earth, but it is found in the presence of God—whether in the heavenly realms, in Christ, or in the eternal Kingdom prepared for us. As pilgrims on this earth, we are called to live with this eternal home in mind, knowing that our hearts ultimately belong to the One who created and redeems us.

I tried to capture this concept in the song- (click link)

 "Heart for Home," 

This journey unfolds through the eyes of someone who spent years wandering. The world was wide, and the call of adventure drowned out the quiet whispers of home. The road was full of lessons—some joyful, some painful—but every step was a step closer to realizing the truth:

“Through every mile, through joy and pain,
My heart was searching for its place again.”

Sometimes we need to lose sight of home to understand its worth. But the beauty of grace is that it never leaves us. Even when we’re chasing empty promises or building lives on shifting sand, there’s a steady hand ready to lead us back.

For those who’ve wandered, let this be an encouragement. The road home is always open. The love and grace you may have taken for granted still wait for you. And when you arrive, you’ll see it with new eyes.

For those who’ve never left, be patient with those who have. Their journey might take them far, but the truth has a way of calling us back.

As Chesterton reminds us, and as the song echoes, sometimes the longest journeys lead us to the simplest truths:

“The wanderer rests, no need to roam,
For my heart was always made for home.”