The gospel of Luke today features the allegory parable of the Prodigal Son. We all know the story but I want to have us look at this in a new way. Many of us heard about the child in Lake Cowachin who was attacked by two cougars this past week. We may know about the Mom who ran out to save her child and tried to pry the jaws of the animal apart to free her son from the grasp but could not. She then prayed, "Oh God Help Me!!" She tried again and she was able to open the jaws of the animal and free her child. In telling the story, she confessed that she was an atheist and was surprised that God heard and responded to her prayer.
I want to focus on the parable of Jesus with these facts as a background. Jesus teaches us that God is always loving of all of His Creation. He is about reconciliation and restoration. We, as Christians often think that God is only for those who turn to God. However, God loves all of God's Creation which includes atheists, Jews, Muslims and everybody else on the planet. God is with us all. Some may think as the older brother in allegory as human Christians, "that's not fair! We are always here." "How come a refugee or an atheist gets love from God?" God is a reconciler and God wants all people to be reconciled together and no one is beyond the love of God. In God's eyes, we all matter! That is Jesus' message to the older brother in the parable.
The parable of the Protocol Son is Global. We on the planet are all in the family of God. I am pained when this is forgotten. The Parable family of the two boys represents the whole planet. Some today like the younger brother are squandering the resources of the planet for their own gain and for the death of the planet as well ignore the plight of their sisters and brothers and all of God's creatures big and small. We pray that with our voices and votes, they will return from their evil ways before it is too late! We are to welcome to those who return to God and to the nurture of our Island Home-Earth. We cannot turn our backs on others as the older son wanted to do. We must be open as in this parable from Jesus as were the First nations who welcomed us as strangers in Nova Scotia over 400 years ago. We are all immigrants.
We must see ourselves as one family and turn our lives around and welcome each other home. That is reconciliation which is what we are called to work at and accomplish. We are called in this parable to make a sustainable whole society that is inclusive, loving and just. We are in a mystical union with each other world-wide and creation-wide, no matter what our creed, colour or ethnic background. We are all in God's Love.
