The Prodigal Son. It's a story we all know. I think most of us think of it as a story of sin and redemption, of betrayal and forgiveness, of going off the right path and coming back again. But I think it is more.
I think the Prodigal Son story is about life, and how we don't have to get it right the first time (or even the second, or the third). It is about the freedom God gives us, and our right and power to set forth on our own. Think about it. God gives us an inheritance and sets us free to follow the desires of our hearts. Who of us gets it right the first time? If the prodigal had not gone away and seen life from a different perspective, he would never have come to really know his father. Knowing that father took simply an acknowledgement that he'd made a mistake. According to the story, the Father didn't love him less for that. He loved him even more.
I sometimes think our tidied up religion keeps us from seeing the reality of life. We cannot live within a structure that keeps us from all harm. That isn't living; that is slavery. To venture forth means to deal with life as it really is, without pretense or false virtue. We will be robbed, we will be a victim at some point, and also we will betray our own best selves. But that is not the end of story, the time to crawl back and beg. That is just part of the journey.
I know only too many who, for fear of making a mistake, continue in a false life, where expectations can be met, and no surprise will throw them off guard. I find them the most unhappy people I know.
The prodigal took a chance. And in the end, he grew. What am I willing to chance for spiritual growth?
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