Home Is Home, However Lowly

Heather Allington

Heather writes for Sunday Song Book on behalf of the The Salvation Army Oshawa. As a lifelong member of the Army, she has loved these familiar - and some less familiar - songs for many years, and enjoys researching and writing about their origins. She is a wife, mother, grandmother and retired elementary school teacher who likes trying her hand at watercolour painting and poetry writing.

Home is home, however lowly;
Home is sweet when love is there.
Home is home when hearts are holy;
Earth has ne’er a spot so fair.
Jesus makes our home a heaven,
Sacred in the fireside warm;
After battling through the long day,
Home’s a shelter from the storm.

To a little home in Bethany
Jesus loved to wend His way;
Tender hearts were waiting for Him
In the evening of the day.
Jesus there dispelled the sadness;
There the humble meal He blessed;
There they worshipped Him with gladness;
There His sacred form would rest.

Let us make our home the threshold
Of the City bright and fair,
Each the other’s joy possessing,
Each the other’s burden share.
In the storm of deep affliction
Let us seek the heavenly balm;
In life’s tempest just remember,
Prayer will make the storm a calm.

This week’s song was chosen with Mother’s Day in mind, but let’s also consider and remember in prayer the thousands of people who just recently lost their homes in the wildfires in and around Fort McMurray, Alberta. How we all treasure our homes as shelters, not just physically but emotionally! Many of us have been fortunate to have had good mothers who have made our homes such treasured places.

People who lost their homes in the wildfires in and around Fort McMurray Share on X

Arthur Arnott, this song’s author, was the son of William Arnott and his wife. They moved to Australia from Scotland with William’s brother, David, bringing bakery experience, and William founded the Arnott Biscuit Company, famous particularly in Australia. William was a committed Christian and member of the Wesleyan church. Arnold worked in the biscuit business for a time, but after meeting some Salvationists in a park meeting in 1893, he came to deeper faith in Christ and became a keen soldier of the Salvation Army, going on to become a full time officer. At one time he was personal secretary to Commandant Herbert Booth, who was in charge of the Army in Australia. Arnold Arnott was known for being humble yet visionary, with a heart for young people. Some of the many songs he wrote were for youth. His wife, Lucy, a New Zealander, was his most ardent supporter, and one can imagine that she was a loving wife and mother who made their home a haven such as this song describes.