The Prodigal Son isn’t just about returning home, it is also a story about forgiveness, redemption, clarity, service, celebration, and community. The idea of church had always been a struggle for me. I found myself judging the church closely, as if it were supposed to be perfect, and when I found evidence to the contrary, I held a grudge against it. I suppose I am like the older brother in this way; believing myself to be ‘holier than thou’ and thinking everything around me should be fair, while fulfilling unattainable expectations. When my father passed away recently, it became all the clearer to me that I have been wrong about church. That it was never supposed to be perfect, but instead like a family that protects, helps, and guides its members, and at the very least creates a place that is safe. It never promised perfection, but it does promise its best. St. Luke’s feels more like a family than I could have ever anticipated, and being an active participant in this family of faith has given me a few gifts that I wish to share:
One would be community. We cannot survive without it and our faith will always suffer if we attempt it alone. Sure, there are seasons that God calls us to be closer to him than our family and friends, but He never called us to do this life alone; the opposite, actually. Proverbs 27:17 states “As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.” We are meant to do this life together.
Another gift would be clarity. Acts 26:16 says, “to open their eyes so that they may turn from darkness to light.” Church has cleared away the rubble of my heart and allowed me to see what is important: my relationship with God. Without it, I have nothing. We think we can do it alone (much like the Prodigal Son) and follow our own wants and ambitions, but when we are closest to God, we are covered, healed, and emboldened to do His will, which is always going to be better than what we have planned for ourselves.
I have asked for forgiveness, as well. I have forgiven those who created a painful image of the church for me in years past. I have realized my own ego was keeping me from experiencing gifts that God knew were waiting for me. In a way, I came home myself, and I can feel God welcoming me with open arms.
– Kelsey Paul
