Article January 27, 2003 Issue

Finding a place called home

BY Beverly Goldsmith

OWNING YOUR OWN HOME is still the "great Australian dream"—and still achievable for many people who are willing to work hard for it. But there are those throughout the world who hold little hope for having the home they yearn for. Some can't afford to cope with skyrocketing rents. Some live in the open without a roof over their heads. Others have no home state or territory. Various indigenous peoples have been dispossessed of their traditional homes and lands. And others are refugees, leaving their homes behind to seek sanctuary from racial intolerance, war, terror.

To most people, home represents safety—a refuge, a private space, a place of peace. And because it's unthinkable that anyone should be without food, water, clothing, or shelter, many people around the world are working hard to see that everyone has these basics. This is no easy task, but I truly believe that no matter how difficult the situation, it is possible for each one of us to find a place to call home.

What would give me reason to believe such a thing? Well, for many years I've been reading, actually studying, the Bible and Science and Health, and have come to the conclusion that home is not fundamentally a location. It's a spiritual concept representing love, beauty, peace, protection. Such spiritual qualities are ideas and are not external to you, not outside of you. This concept of home is with you wherever you are. So home is within your heart and mind. It's like the "kingdom of heaven"—God's creation—that Jesus spoke of as being "within you." Because of this you can never lose your spiritual home or be separated from it. Home is a permanent place in your heart. And understanding this fact enables each of us to find proper housing.