New Year's Day 2016, The First Step

New Year’s Day 2016

January 1, 2016

Luke 15:11-32

John Macallan Swan

And he said further: “A certain man had two sons. The younger of them said to his father, ‘Give me the share of the estate which falls to me.’  And he divided his wealth between them. And not many days later the younger son gathered everything together and went on a journey to a far country and squandered his estate in the enjoyment of loose living. When he had spent everything, a severe famine came over the land, and he began to be in need. So he went and attached himself to a citizen of the country who sent him out into his fields and let him herd swine. And he longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the swine were eating, but no one gave him anything.

Then he came to himself, and said, ‘How many of my father’s hired men have more than enough bread, but I am dying here of hunger. I will rise up and go to my father and say to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against the higher world and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Make me one of your hired men [workers].’

So he rose up and traveled along the road to his father. When he was still a long way off, his father saw him, felt his misery, ran toward him, embraced him and kissed him. And yet the son said, ‘Father, I have sinned against the higher world and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Make me one of your hired men [workers].’

But the father called his servant to him. ‘Quickly! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet, and slaughter the fattened calf. Then we shall eat and be merry. For this my son was dead and is risen to life. He was lost and is found again.’ And they began to celebrate.

Meanwhile the older son was in the field. When he returned home and came near the house, he heard the sound of music and dancing. He called one of the servants to him and asked him what it meant. He gave him the news: ‘Your brother has come home again. So in joy your father has slaughtered the fattened calf because he has him back again safe and sound.’

The son grew dark with anger and didn’t want to go in. But his father came out and pleaded with him. He however reproached his father saying, ‘Look! For so many years I have been with you and have never neglected one of your commands. But you never gave me so much as a goat that I might be merry with my friends. And now comes this son of yours who has eaten up your wealth in scandal, and you offer him the fattened calf.’

The father however said to him ‘Child, you are always with me and all that I have belongs to you too. But now we should be glad and rejoice, for this your brother was dead and lives; he was lost and has been found again.’

New Year’s Day 2016

January 1, 2016

Luke 15:11-32

We have come to a nodal point in the flow of time; an end, and with it, an opportunity to begin again, to start afresh.

The lost son had sallied forth with a high heart, eager to taste life and experience the world. But eventually he come to the end of his own resources. And he comes to himself. He realizes that he has lost a right and proper relationship to his father, and he chooses to be willing to start over, rebuilding the relationship from a lower, more humble starting point. At the same time, with an overflowing compassion, his father welcomes him back with more than open arms.

Humanity too has largely lost the right relationship to our heavenly Father. We are often too busy enjoying life, immersed in rich experience, too proudly self-sufficient to notice that we are eating husks. But we can be graced with moments when we come to ourselves and recognize what we have lost. As Wendell Berry said,

"It may be when we no longer know what to do, we have come to our real work,

 and that when we no longer know which way to go, we have begun our real journey."

So in the words of another poet, David Whyte, *

…Start with

Prodigal Son Returns, Kathryn Donegan

the ground

you know,

the pale ground

beneath your feet,

your own

way of starting

the conversation.

Start right now

take a small step

you can call your own

don't follow

someone else's

heroics, be humble

and focused,…

Start close in,

don't take the second step

or the third,

start with the first

thing

close in,

the step you don't want to take.

For our heavenly Father, with love and compassion, always welcomes us back to our new beginnings.

* David Whyte, ” START CLOSE IN” in River Flow