‘The Father ran‘

The figure of the running father in the parable of the Prodigal son best captures the essence of God. Jesus said this parable in answer to a complaint by the Pharisees “Why does he eat with sinners?”. The figure of the running father is the answer.

The elderly man running through the dusty streets of Palestine must have been a comical sight to many. They don’t understand the urgency or the need. St John tells us, “God is love.” The nature of God is love. Mercy and forgiveness are synonyms for love. The name of God is Mercy. He is keeping the company of sinners because he is God. When God has an opportunity to forgive he runs. The father runs to get to the son as quickly as possible. He runs to reduce the pain and agony of the son as less as possible. For every step the son takes toward the father, the father takes a hundred steps toward the son. The son is limping. The father is running.

 A mother is a mother so long as she has a baby to nurse.  A doctor is a doctor so long as he/she has a patient to cure and save. A Priest is a priest so long as he has a sacrifice to offer. And God is God when he has compassion, mercy, and love. That is why he goes among sinners and eats with them. That is why he runs towards them.

God gets a new lease of life when he can forgive. The Pharisees complained, “ Who can forgive sins, but God alone”. They were right. Only God can forgive. It is his nature to forgive. It is in forgiveness, he is exercising his nature as God.  He wants to be God by forgiving. He wants to take the first chance to forgive. The faster he can get to the son, the longer he can be God! Therefore he runs like an arrow that rushes to meet its target or in the words of St Augustine, “Our hearts are made for you and it can never rest until it rests in you”.  It is not we who go to him, it is he who comes to us.

The shepherd searches ‘until he finds’ the lost sheep. Then he carries it home in joy on his shoulders. The woman sweeps ‘until she finds’ the lost coin.  She restores it in joy to where it belongs. She  wears it proudly once again around her neck. The father runs until his arms are on the shoulder of his son. With the support of his arm, he leads him home. “And they began to celebrate.” The father and the son celebrate with a feast and a dance. The son stood in wonder and amazement at the dancing father. For the first time, he recognized who his father was.

 Our God is a good runner. He runs until the target is reached. He searches until he finds. God is not only a Good Shepherd and a running Father but also a searching Woman. No ‘far away country’ is too distant for him. No sin is too heavy that he cannot carry.  No sinner is ever lost from his sight. No occasion he misses for a celebration.

                                                            -  Fr TV George sdb