God is always for us..

God's love does not depend on our repentance or our inner or outer changes.--Fr. Henri J.M. Nouwen from the "The Return of the Prodigal Son"

 

We can breath better when we think of this. It consoles us deeply to know that God is always for us.  We are all the Prodigal at times, we leave our Father's side to pursue pleasure, only to find that no greater pleasure can be found than being with Father. We are all the older brother, jealous of one another, assuming in our pride that we deserve more than we are getting, only to find that we have everything. We should hope to be like the Father, who loves with a crazy love. In those days, old men did not run, it was very disrespectful to suggest an old man would do so. When Jesus told this story He probably got a few sneers from the crowd. But this father's love for his son is our great example. We should run to those who hurt us, giving them forgiveness freely, as we have been forgiven.

 

wkm