This Sunday we begin a multi-week foray into the Parable of the Prodigal Son. This parable is almost reflexive knowledge if you have been brought up in the Christian Tradition, but we hope to bring some new (or at least fresh!) insights to it.
There are hundreds of paintings depicting the Prodigal Son, and as I have encountered some of them over the week, I’ve been thinking that there are as many ways to interpret the art about the Prodigal Son as there are ways to interpret the scripture itself. So much of how we hear it or see it has to do with our own relationships to our father as well as our relationship to God. To accompany the parable, we will primarily use the well known painting of The Return by Rembrandt, but I encourage you to just google “paintings of the prodigal son” and see which ones inspire you, too. Engage with the story and the images in a practice of lectio and visio divina. Imagine, if you will, which person in the painting/story you relate to the most. Likely, if we’re honest, we’ve had moments of being the Father, the elder son, and the prodigal son. Let’s imagine together what it could be like to integrate all these aspects of Self, to become whole, to come home.
Let’s also imagine together who or what the young son interacted with that set the circumstances for the great mercy and forgiveness he receives. Who did he hurt or betray and who hurt or betrayed him? Does he repair with them as part of his redemption? What happens to the prodigal daughter?
This rich narrative will hopefully provide us with much insight and inspiration. Let’s rethink and reimagine this one together! Thanks for listening.
Rembrandt, The Return of the Prodigal Son