“For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.” Psalm 103:11-12 NIV
The call came around 3:30 p.m.; the young woman had completed the sentence she had been actively avoiding for six years. A week earlier in Women Rising at the Texas County Jail, when I asked everyone in the circle to think of one thing that they were confident about in that moment, a few shared that they thought they would be released, some were confident that their children loved them and then it was Alayna’s turn. She was the only one that stated that she was confident that she would continue her spiritual journey that had begun during her incarceration. And now at long last, here she was, calling me for a ride home so she didn’t have to walk 55 miles. I give everyone my card with my cell phone number in case something like that happens. Only the serious ones call.
When we arrived at the McDonald’s where we were to pick her up, it was a joyful reunion that I can still see in my mind. She had gotten through the last of her sentence in another county and had met her responsibility for the mistake she had made six years prior. We celebrated with McDonald’s sandwiches and ice cream. Our trip home continued to be jubilant with her excitement to see her family again and work in her garden and her plans for her future, but, most importantly, her spiritual walk and how she would continue daily to work on that. She related about having a tooth ache the night before in jail and how she couldn’t go to sleep so she prayed and sang the song that we use to gather for our closing circle for Women Rising until the pain subsided and she was able to fall asleep. This was a “prodigal moment” for all of us involved, and I’m so glad that I could be a part of that. This young woman was free at last. She felt restored and now was being honored for her time of fulfilling her obligation to the ordered structure of her culture.
I wonder how many have their “prodigal moment” at a turning point in their life with someone who cares about them and welcomes them back into the sanctuary of family and community The story Christ told about the lost son is filled with images of hope, forgiveness, restorative justice and a fresh beginning to break from the stigmatizing events of the past. The title “Prodigal Son” was assigned but not scripturally to this account of the lost son. The word “prodigal” has two meanings. The first meaning is that of a “wasteful person” and the second meaning is “profuse in giving, exceedingly abundant”.
In the sermon “The Far Country,” Dr. James T. Draper, Jr., states: “The story of the prodigal is not a story about sins it is a story about lostness. Lostness not badness — awayness. The true emphasis is not on the sons, but on the father. It is an unveiling of the heart of God. The central truth of the parable is the picture of the heavenly Father’s heart of love toward undeserving sinners.”
We find this parable in Luke 15:11-32.
There is so much to be understood from this parable, but first it’s important that we lay out the context in which Jesus presented it. Jesus was in the presence of the Pharisees. They were the interpreters of the Jewish law which meant they were responsible for deciding what was right and wrong human behavior. Luke 15 begins with these words: “Now the tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to Him, and the Pharisees and the scribes murmured, saying, ‘This Man receives sinners and eats with them.’ So He told them this parable…” Jesus gave them the parables of the lost sheep, the lost coin and then the lost son to emphasize the compassion of God for the lost.
Far Country” by James L. Dryer, Jr: “Certain things stand out about the elder brother. His whole attitude shows that his years of obedience to his father had been years of grim duty and not of loving service. His whole attitude is one of utter lack of sympathy. He refers to his brother, not as my brother but as your son. The elder brother did indeed have some virtues which deserve respect. Socially, he had not brought reproach upon his father. He had resisted all temptation to physical dissipation. He was industrious and thrifty. He despised slothfulness. He was the enemy of extravagance. His conduct created no scandal. He was the enemy of moral laxity. He did not gamble. He condemned lawlessness. He required himself to abhor immorality. He was entitled to all the credit that was due him. This elder brother had missed the high qualities in his father’s life. He simply could not understand his father’s patience, forbearance, and grief over the younger brother’s absence from the home.”
Read “The Prodigal” in its entirety on the Houston Herald Website. You can also find other writings at sweetwaterjourney.com.