Wednesday 06 June 2012

Background

Today's story is so familiar that we sometimes find ourselvesonly half listening when we hear it read or even read it forourselves.

Here we have a father and two sons: one solid and reliable workingthe land alongside his father, the other an adventurous soul whowants to see the world. The accounts are prepared, the proceedsshared out and off goes the young man, aiming to make his fortunebut it doesn't work out that way. It would seem he gets in with thewrong crowd, and his nest egg disappears. He is left destitute andforced to look for work wherever he can find it, even to the extentof caring for unclean animals something which would be an anathemato a good Jewish boy. Finally he comes home and is received withlove, and, despite his brother's anger, I suspect lives happilyever after.

Last night I went to a somewhat unusual theatre. It was held in achurch centre and all the actors were from an inner-city homelesscommunity. This theatre company has been going for around fouryears, and through their workshops and productions lives have beenchanged. The play told the actors' own stories, of marriagebreakdown, drug addiction, the things which had driven them todereliction, and how they had found new hope and new life throughthe love which came to them from this somewhat unusual missionopportunity.

The actors could all relate to the prodigal son in the story; thelove they have found is through a committed Christian communitywilling to accept them for who they are without judgement, and witharms open wide to receive them.

In contrast, I was waiting for a bus a while ago when a man withmental health problems came and joined the queue. A bus came in andhe got on. The bus left and the person next to me said, "I couldhave got that bus but I couldn't travel with someone like that."There was no compassion or love - so sad.

To Ponder

How do you react when you see the homelessalcoholic in the street?

Are you prepared to think, there but for thegrace of God go I?

In what ways can the Church be the open arms ofGod to those in need?