If you haven’t already read Henri Nouwen’s The Return of the Prodigal Son: A Story of Homecoming, then this post might be a bit of a spoiler. Keep reading anyway, and get your hands on a copy of this book; it was a seminal read for me (isn’t funny how a homecoming story resonated so soundly with me while on a global pilgrimage?).
In the book, Nouwen explores the characters of this parable, the younger son, the father, and the elder son. Many of us, when we’ve read this parable, found in Luke 11:15-32, identify with one of the sons more readily than the other. We’ve already figured out that the father in this story represents our heavenly Father.
Yet Nouwen concludes, at least for himself, that God is calling him to become the father. For many of us, spiritual sonship (daughter-ship, in my case), is hard enough to wrap our minds and hearts around. “I am a child of GOD? That is heavy stuff.” Yet God isn’t a static God, so His children aren’t either; thus, He calls us to grow up.
In a world filled with orphans, God wants to raise up fathers. Women of the Church seems to rise more quickly and easily to the call to be a mother to the motherless; my hope and prayer is to see the men catch up and overtake us in being a father to the fatherless.
Here’s a slice of the perspective of the Father’s heart from Tyler Woodham, of the January 2010 World Race (N Squad):
Everyday, our team goes to an orphanage and plays with the children. . . However, everyday our hearts seem to break. Since the first day, some of the children have asked, “When is my mommy and daddy coming to get me?” And “Are you going to come back and get me after you go home?”
How do you respond to that? My eyes seem to water each time one asks this. But in these moments, when our team just absolutely wants to cry, God meets us where we are with the strength to control our emotions. The children need to see us lively, laughing, ALWAYS energetic, and just as excited to see them. As much as our hearts break for these children, we still have to hold our composure and control our emotions as long as we are around them.These children have stolen our hearts. I wish you could hear them laugh, see their beautiful smiles, and play a game of basketball with them. Pray for them. . .
Mike Schuerman, also in the Philippines on the January 2010 World Race (M Squad), shares what it looks like to father orphans:
One of the main themes this month God has placed upon me is being a father to the fatherless. As in many cultures, the fathers are not around; the ones who are, usually are out working and when they are home they seem to show no affection and spend little to no time with their kids. This has resulted in many boys turning to gangs to find comfort and support from other male influences. As God would have it, part of my ministry this month is building relationships with some of the teen gang members along with working with men in the prison.
And this is how Neil Bruinsma, an alumnus of the October 2008 World Race, currently leading a Real Life team in Swaziland, follows in the footsteps of our heavenly Father:
I noticed a boy sitting on a concrete slab all by himself. His leg looked bandaged up. I immediately went over to him and with the help of our translator I ask what was wrong. Apparently three days ago he had fallen off the back of a motorcycle and was dragged some how. I could see the blood oozing through his bandage while flies buzzed busily around it.
“Three days ago? Why hasn’t he been taken to the hospital?” I asked in surprise.“There is no one to take him. He says he has no father and his mother has been gone for the past week and he doesn’t know when she is returning,” replied my translator, Titi.I realized in that moment it was up to me if he was going to be taken to the hospital. It felt a bit strange to take on the responsibility of this boy, but I knew I had no choice. If not me then who?
It’s time for all of us to grow up and think beyond ourselves. It’s time for us to start investing in our legacy — the next generation. As soon as we own the fact that we are sons and daughters, we need to start growing up to father and mother the sons and daughters God wants to give us.
The growth starts here.
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