Nancy and I watched a movie last night. In it a beautiful lady played by Rene Zellweger experienced a saddening death after a long bout with cancer. Maudlin … filled with despair. I’ve had occasional sparks of thought in recent months about my own mortality. Natural being in my mid seventies. You know. How do I view the life I have left? I hope with mixed feelings. Looking over my shoulder at it all. Pretty good actually. But the close of the movie last evening truly spoke to me.
Dijimon Hounsou … the fabulous African American actor so memorable for his role in Stephen Spielberg’s “Amistad” played a homeless sage. Erect, imposing in stature. Eyes fired with grief. He eulogized his wonderful friend above who had shown him love and compassion when no other did.  During his incredibly memorial honoring her he simply said, “We all comin’ home.” … We’re all coming home. While there was no indication of his spiritual beliefs, this simple phrase from one who had little materially courageously stood tall. He needed no riches. “We all comin’ home” Home.

Like you? I live in the comfort I’ve know here in Atlanta for the last thirty years. My birthplace, Philadelphia for thirty six. Loving family and friends have made my homes vibrant, special. But this “ … comin’ home.” phrase? Evoked very different emotions and feelings in me. “We all …” Not some. All of us. We all … “are someday… comin’ home. White, black, brown. Christian, Hindu … atheistic. All. This I believe. We belong to one another. We will all arrive and join together someday. “Home.” Then I wonder. How will I arrive. Sad? Thankful? Proud? Reflective? All of these and more I guess. Fulfilled? I hope so.
A remembrance comes to my mind at this moment. Not sure why.
Norman Lear, ninety six years old, legendary TV producer put it this way … “I’ve lived every day of my life just telling myself … I have now and next. That’s it. That’s all. Now and next.” He was then asked, “Mr. Lear, what age do you feel you are?” To which he replied, “I always feel I’m the age of the person in front of me.” How beautiful. Now and next … as old as the person in front of him. Wow. What a great way to live. Norman Lear knows his time here isn’t his choice. He like all of us will eventually … come home.

When l heard this, I thought, … you know? I want to try to live this way too. Gives me joy of the present. As I experience whoever is in front of me. Loving them always. In truth by varying degree. Some fully so. Others less. But always focused on trying to love the person, situation in front of me. Now and next. I do see events, interactions during each day as small arrivals, small “coming homes.” Conclusions, closings of conversations. So many observations. Learnings. Each in it’s own way a “ … coming home” experience. Gifts while here. Each of them … leading me “home.”

So in this light, “We all comin’ home.” told me … we are being called “home.” too. Now. While here today. Whatever your beliefs. “Home” will be there for all of us someday. But “… coming home” invites us to love the wonder and be confident that “Home?” is now. Right here in front of us. We need to live life to the fullest. Without fear. With gusto. Today. As God intended it to be.
Because, now … before we leave. Just as Dijimon Hounsou declared,
Eventually … “We all comin’ home.”