April (Web-only) 2004

ARTICLE TOOLS

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M. Craig Barnes was formerly pastor of the National Presbyterian Church in Washington, D.C and is now professor of leadership and ministry at Pittsburgh Theological Seminary and pastor of the Shady Side Presbyterian Church in Pittsburgh. Barnes has written several books including When God Interrupts, Sacred Thirst: Meeting God in the Desert of Our Longings, Yearning, Hustling God, and his latest book Searching for Home: Spirituality for Restless Souls.

Barnes is editor-at-large for Christianity Today's sister publication, Leadership journal, where he frequently contributes. He also wrote "Easter in an Age of Terror" two years ago for Christianity Today.

I get the sense that restlessness is something that you've done a lot of thinking about and working through in your own life.

I'd have a hard time telling you where home is for me. Most pastors I know would because we don't tend to spend 40 years in one parish any longer. My family moved from Washington two years ago, and our 23-year-old daughter was just finishing college, so where would she say home is? Her parents aren't in D.C. anymore. We were in D.C. for 10 years, but originally she was born some place else. She certainly doesn't think of Pittsburgh as home. When I was writing the book I interviewed a lot of her friends, her 20-something-year-old friends asking them where home is. I had to spend a lot of time explaining the concept. They didn't even know what I really meant by it.

You talk about Peter Berger's research regarding what happens with these nomadic souls. You talk about the alienation that happens, the loss of self that has occurred. Talk with us about the alienation that is happening with nomadic souls.

Throughout history, home is what tells you who you are ...