Going back home, but not to my eternal home

This week I will return to my roots, briefly. I have never been ashamed of being from the South, but I no longer identify deeply with its culture.  Linda and I vainly attempted to introduce our children to grits, cornbread, and turnip greens, but their comfort food will always be Mexican. 

Nevertheless, it will be good to spend time with my brother and some old friends from college and the church I grew up in.  

What does this have to do with worldview?  It's easy to forget that this world is not our home. When we take the commands of God seriously, then we can appreciate the labors our ancestors poured into making the places we call home prettier, more habitable, more prosperous, and more convenient.  When I go back to the South, the passage of time gives me a perspective on the changes - mostly for the better; some, not so much. 

Some of the photos on this page show the things Marietta can be proud of: aesthetic, historical, and cultural. But whenever a Mariettan needs to be humbled, just remind him or her that the only thing most people outside of the Atlanta area know about Marietta is that it's home of the Big Chicken.  

The point is that we ought to fulfill God's dominion mandate by improving the places in which we live. But worship of the labors of our hands or a piece of geography is still idolatry, and this world is ultimately not our home...