Where is home...if that's where the heart is?

"Home is where the heart is" is a trite phrase used often by people in daily life--and twice by writers featured in this blog. In writing we are to avoid using these kinds of words or, at least, put quotation marks around them to show that we know they are overused and have lost meaning. But, home was a theme these women prisoners wanted to write about--and that is where their hearts are.

These days in our nation, home and home life appear often to be a disaster. Soon we will remember September 11, 2001, when, ten years ago, our nation was attacked by those who did not think of America as their "home." Soon after that horrible event, we were introduced to the concept of this country as our "homeland." The words seemed strange, as if a truth we knew, perhaps took for granted, was being forced upon us.

H.O.M.E. Those four letters form a very powerful word: soldiers are coming "home," a family loses its "home" to foreclosure, a little Jewish boy in Brooklyn on his way "home" gets lost and is killed by a stranger, a 100 year-old prayer warrior goes "home" to Glory.

What is home really? A dwelling place of wood or brick? A particular spot on earth? People? A concept? A feeling?  If we, like the prisoner, have to give up everything or if we sell all we have like Jesus urged the rich young man to do, do we have no "home?"

The great American poet, Robert Frost, said, "Home is the place where, when you have to go there, they have to take you in."  The prisoner knows this and the writings in this blog reflect that--or show the difference.

Crashing and Burning...

On Wednesday of this week, I met with The Authors Club. For a few minutes we spent some time working with three thoughts the group called out and I wrote on the board: home, I love you, and crash and burn. They all make sense when you think of who is saying them and where they are.

Then we brainstormed for attendant words. "I love you" produced tranquility, euphoria, passion, safety and even cliche; "home" produced freedom, ready, children, love, heart, food; "crash and burn" produced assault, aspire, fire, scary, depression, failure.

Then the women wrote for about 15 minutes and shared what they had written. In this issue of our bi-monthly blog you can read some of the results. The theme of crashing and burning had the most results.

And this certainly has been a week for dealing with crashing and burning: London and the riots, the Dougherty Trio, the Navy Seals lost in Afghanistan coming home.

We've also seen leaders step up to the bat, speaking to young people with a firm calm, a mother's prayers answered: although her children may spend many years in prison, they didn't kill anyone, and incredible stories of belief in freedom and being willing to lay down your life for it.

It's all working together towards some kind of good.

That's what faith is all about.