Finding Home: Living as Pilgrims in a World That Doesn’t Feel Like Ours

   I remember the Blizzard of ’93, stuck in Shippensburg at the District 3 Wrestling Championships. I’d already been eliminated, and the storm trapped our team, making me feel like I was a world away from where I wanted to be. Like Dorothy from The Wizard of Oz, all I could think was, “I just want to go home.” Sometimes, as Christians, we feel that same longing for home—a place that feels more familiar and aligned with who we are in Christ.
   Peter’s words in 1 Peter 1:1-4 and 2:9-10 speak directly to that feeling. He wrote to early Christians scattered in foreign lands, feeling the discomfort of a society that didn’t share their values. They faced rejection and pressure to conform to the ideals of a culture that didn’t understand or accept their faith. In many ways, it’s a feeling that resonates today. Our landscape has changed, and we, too, can feel like we don’t belong. We’re “not in Kansas anymore.”
   But Peter’s response wasn’t to encourage them to fight for a place of influence or to retreat in defeat. Instead, he reminded them of their true identity. They weren’t mere settlers trying to carve out a space for themselves; they were chosen exiles, a “royal priesthood” and a “holy nation,” with a purpose given by God. This wasn’t a temporary identity or one that depended on their social standing—it was securely anchored in God’s eternal plan and His mercy.
   Peter urged them to see their place in God’s larger story, reminding them that they, like Abraham, Israel, and even Jesus, were part of a long line of God’s pilgrim people. Living as exiles wasn’t a punishment; it was a calling to a higher purpose and an inheritance beyond anything this world could offer.
   So, what do we do when we feel that we don’t belong? We live like pilgrims, not partisans, knowing that our true home—the great celestial city—is still ahead. Until then, we walk this path with the honor and identity God has given us, leaning on Him for grace and peace.