Reflections on the Prodigal
Son and “Forks in the Road.”
God’s gift of freedom means
choices and decisions - much of the time easy, but then we come to a fork in
the road and our choices and decisions become more challenging and difficult.
In the parable of the
Prodigal Son, we find a variety of both opportunities and pitfalls as the story
unfolds and the participants in the story become more fully known.
First, the prodigal as he is
known. His decision forces a host of
decisions on others involved in the story - he decides to test out his own
freedom by asking for his portion of the inheritance. It could be seen as a
courageous step on his part, wanting to take responsibility to live out his
story on his terms.
But that decisions leads to
another fork in the road - how to put his freedom and resources into action -
where to go, what to do with his gifts and how to shape his future.
The father has his own
decision to make - in love let the boy go or cut the ties with him out of anger
- disown him for all future time - let him go and make a fool of himself.
Then there is the elder son -
who decides to stay at home and help his father, but time shows he is not happy
about it and his view of life is ruled by his inner dissatisfaction and timidity.
For the prodigal, self-interest
and greed dominate his decision making and the road he chooses to follow is
destructive. Yet there is in the end
another road out there and it would require humility as well as courage.
For the father, love is the
dominating force in his decision making. And as many theologians have
suggested, he stands on the porch every day looking longingly into the distance
with open arms, seeking the return of the prodigal.
For the elder son, the story
is not complete. He has another fork in the road to choose. He could leave, stay in anger or follow the
example of his father and allow graciousness and acceptance take charge.
The key to it all is the
father - the Father - who chooses not to let go when we blow it and stands lovingly
on the porch waiting for our return.
