No Lasting City

For all the time I was in Edinburgh I regarded myself as an Edinburgh citizen, felt at home in the city and committed myself to supporting Edinburgh Rugby! This was a matter of some controversy and difficulty in my family. Our daughter and one of our sons (both of whom would regard Edinburgh as more ‘home’ than anywhere else they have lived) joined me in my support. But my wife and our other son considered that – as they are Glaswegian by origin – they should stick with their roots and continue to consider themselves Glaswegian, and (crucially) should support Glasgow Warriors.

All of which led to some interesting times when we attended the 1872 matches between Edinburgh and Glasgow as a family over the Festive Season!

I was accused of being fickle (and worse!).

But in fact I am consistent.

When I lived in Fife I went to football matches at Bayview to watch East Fife lose (often!) but I cheered them on. Also in Fife I would occasionally go to watch Glenrothes Rugby Club play.

In Perth I would occasionally watch St Johnstone play at McDiarmid Park and would happily cheer them on. They were my local team. And I often would wander down to the North Inch of a Saturday to watch Perthshire Rugby Club play, and meet up with friends who were fellow supporters (or – indeed – in some cases, players... them, not me!).

Now I am back in the West and near Glasgow (except when I am not and acting as an Interim Minister in rural Perthshire... but that just complicates things!). Will I be continuing to support Edinburgh Rugby? No, of course not! I no longer live there. I am planning to watch and cheer on and actively support Glasgow Warriors at Scotstoun.

Some of my family are confused and bemused. But it all makes perfect sense to me. Wherever I am is home.

And that is the truth for me. Wherever I am, or have been, I have made my home and it has felt like home.

For the moment, the strange thing is that I have two homes... Lennoxtown near Glasgow (where Jane is Minister) and that part of rural Perthshire where the parishes I am serving as Interim Minister are situated.

And in fact both feel like home!

And yet, nowhere truly feels like home... It is as if ‘home’ is still something that awaits me.

The words from the letter to the Hebrews have long had a very deep resonance for me. ‘Here we have no lasting city, but we are looking for the city that is to come’ (Heb 13:13).

I have counted Perth, Edinburgh and Glasgow my home cities at various times in my life. But my real home city still awaits.