AMARILLO, Texas — I returned to what once was the church home for my wife and me. She’s gone now, but my own return came with plenty of love from those we knew back when we attended worship services there regularly.

I don’t get back to First Presbyterian Church much these days. I am busy with life in Princeton.

It’s as if I never left. So help me, that’s the overwhelming feeling I got when I walked in. I greeted some gentlemen seated at their regular table in the fellowship hall. Slowly, other friends wandered in en route to the sanctuary for Easter services. The greetings came with hugs, expressions of “glad you’re back,” questions about whether I was back for keeps.

The answer to the question is obvious. My life is re-igniting in the Metroplex. For that renewal, I am eternally grateful.

I also will be eternally grateful for the bonds of friendship I formed among those with whom I celebrated this most holy holiday.

Those bonds remain tight and strong. I was good to come home. Now, the rest of my life beckons.