Jerome O’Brien
I am a refugee, and the son of a refugee. My parents have lived on three continents. I have lived on two. I am one of the scatterlings of Africa and for most of my life, I have had no place to call my home.
Whilst my life may be characterised by the absence of a home, the incongruity of it all is that 40 years ago I discovered my Father in Heaven through His Son, Jesus Christ, by the working of the Holy Spirit. I was raised in a Christian family, and when I was studying Law at university in South Africa, I fell into a ‘good crowd’ of Christian believers. Through their conversation and encouragement, I was persuaded that the best thing that I could do with my life, was to commit it to following Jesus Christ. It remains the best decision that I have ever made. From that day to this, I have known with certainty that I have a heavenly home assured to me by God as revealed in His Word, the Holy Bible.
So I do not define myself by where I live, or my history, or by which denomination I am part of; rather, I define myself in terms of one all important and eternally significant relationship: I am a child of God. He is my Home, my Refuge, my Fortress, my Redeemer and my truest Guide, and my Saviour.
So I seek to follow Him wherever He leads me. God has placed in my heart a desire to reveal Christ and to demonstrate His teachings to the people of the area where I am currently living: Rumbling Bridge, Muckhart, Glendevon, Crook of Devon, Saline, and the surrounding area. In addition, God has made it possible for me to lead a new start for the congregation of St Andrew’s Church in Auchterarder. So this beautiful part of Scotland is now my home and where I minister.
If you are not certain where you ‘belong’; if you are unsure about your eternal home, then please may I encourage you and urge you to consider deeply the person and claims of Jesus Christ. He is not an historical figure written in the pages of an ancient meaningless text, but He is real, and alive and truly able to help, guide and meet your deepest needs. I know this to be true for my own life. I know what it means to be ‘home’.