The Homecoming/Reunion

I. What, How, and Who
The word Homecoming itself can be explained by breaking the word up into its two components, Home and Come. This indicates that Family members come home from whence they left. Everybody grows up, goes away, and then everyone comes back home to where they were born and raised, bringing all their new family members, possessions, updated news, etc. During homecomings, old loving feelings are refreshed, new loving experiences occur, new family members are embraced. Old emotional wombs are surfaced and hopefully healed through the maturity of the individuals in their separate growing stages. With God in the family He brings about healing and mutual uplift through reuniting families together.

There are some well known Bible characters that help us to understand what happens when families reunite after being apart. For instance, consider Jacob after he had run away from home and lived many miles away from his family for over 21 years. When he returned, he had children, wives, servants, and much wealth he had obtained from over the years. He had left his Mother, Father, and Brother in a great state of turmoil and deception. But upon his return, and as a result of the experiences God had taken him through, Jacob and his Brother Esau were able to make amends. Esau met Jacob's family and they both were blessed by this homecoming. The best loved Biblical homecoming story of all time is when the prodigal son came home to his Father. Although this boy had left his home ungrateful and ambitious for the wrong thing, he returned with a repentant heart while his Father greeted him with open arms and a warm embrace.

In addition to family reunions there are reunions of friends that occur during the homecoming season. Friends return to their home to meet other friends who return to their home to remember, forgive, reflect, share, and make new memories. I love the story of Jonathan and David in the Bible. Although Jonathan's Father did not like David, Jonathan and David remained best friends until death. This friendship was so strong that many years after Jonathan's death, David who had become King and prosperous remembered Jonathan's offspring and took him into his own care because the boy had been invalid during his childhood.

From reviewing the Bible's stories of reunions and how God wants to see Families and Friends relate to each other-. Homecoming should be a time of Renewed Love, Forgiveness and Healing, Sharing and Helpfulness, another opportunity to spread the good news of God's goodness to family members.

II. When and How
Of course there is no mandate in the Bible on when people should return home. However, when we review how God set up his earthly government among his chosen people in the Old Testament, we see that All the males would return to the place God (our Father) selected. They would return each year. This would include newly born males as well as the elders. As we all know Jesus was brought to Jerusalem when he was a newborn babe to be presented and blessed by the priest. And at the age of twelve, his annual trip to Jerusalem was noted in the Bible by his remarkable encounter with the Teachers in the synagogues. Each year Jews from everywhere would come to Jerusalem. In addition God instituted many Feasts which included traditions and celebrations, laughter, etc.

So God believes in Fellowship, often which is enjoyed with joyous celebrations, good food, and good music. In God's celebrations, worshiping Him was at the top of the list and as love was shown to God, God in turn showed his servants how to love and enjoy each other. As I stated earlier, while there is no mandate in the Bible on when people should reunite and come home, it does appear that God encouraged this type of activity often. God seems to really be into Family and Friends.

III. Why
God used the Family, and the Family story telling (i.e. passing down family history stories) as a means to educate the world on who He Is (God) and how much he loves and wants to help mankind. Abraham was chosen from among others by God because God knew he would teach his children about Him. Genesis 18:.19 says, "For I have chosen him, in order that he may command his children and his household after him to keep the way of the Lord by doing righteousness and justice- in order that the Lord may bring upon Abraham what He has spoken about him." If Abraham had not taught Isaac and convinced him of his spiritual heritage, Jesus could not have come to us. But Abraham gave Isaac a deep since of God's providence in his life and this message and instruction and relationship with God was passed down through every generation until a mighty and great Family Nation was born - the Israelites.

Similarly today, through strong Christian Family members, a strong since of God's presence passed down to our children can create a strong Family. My Mother and Father (Icy and James Haskins) gave us such strong instruction to follow God that it stayed with each of us after we left home. Even today we are respectful of our parents' instructions and wishes for our lives. If any of our children are missing the boat, it is because we have failed to pass on the message of a need to serve God.....