Do you like to travel? Perhaps you have visited some far-off places in your lifetime or perhaps you prefer to stay in your own home.
Some of you may have even relocated to a new country for a short time, or permanently moved to a new location and called it home.
In the last year, as a church and as a town, we have seen the relocation of many overseas citizens, some making their home here temporarily and some seeking a new future in the UK.
The Bible tells us that Jesus travelled around, in fact, he was born in one place, raised in another and died in yet another.
Jesus knew what it was like to travel, to be far from home and away from family. He would have experienced cultural differences and as he arrived in a new place, he could never be sure of the response of others.
Many flocked to him with open arms to meet him and hear his teaching but others rejected him, pushed him out and isolated him.
No matter how he felt or how he was treated, Jesus welcomed all who came to him – the rich, the poor, the sick, the young and the old, men and women.
As I consider the life of Jesus, I wonder; How would I have responded if I had been alive to walk with him and how am I responding now? Am I welcoming? Do I show love to those that need it? Or do I isolate people, push them out and leave them feeling unwelcome?
As we see new members of our community, in our churches, our schools and workplaces, trying to settle into a new culture, perhaps we should all take the time to encourage them and ensure they can call our town ‘Home Sweet Home’.
Lois Theobald, is the children and families worker at Wokingham Baptist Church, writing on behalf of Churches Together in Wokingham
