‘While he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was moved with pity’
The parable of the Prodigal Son has been described as the greatest short story ever written. It is a redemption story that repeats itself in all our lives, describing as it does the journey from sin to repentance. The young man’s journey begins with selfishness: ‘Give me my share now’. All sin is rooted in selfishness. It leads him to distance himself from his father as he opts for the high life in ‘a far country’. All sin puts distance between us and our Father. Eventually he ‘comes to his senses’, and decides to return home to the father who never gave up on him. All sin leads to disappointment and regret. The young man was searching for love where it cannot be found. This masterful parable speaks to us of the emptiness of life lived at a distance from God; the yearning in every heart to be welcomed home no matter what, and the astounding fact that our God eternally scans the horizon on the lookout for the return of His children. Would our prisons and institutions be less full if people had been welcomed and welcome at home? ‘All roads out of hell lead home’.