I keep seeing social media posts implying that Covid-19 demonstrates either God’s unwillingness or inability to deal with the current pandemic. Well the story of the Prodigal Son says otherwise.
In the story an ungrateful son rejects his father and takes off with his inheritance. Because his father loves him, he lets him – to force him to stay would only cause more bitterness and resentment. But the father lives with the hope that one day his son will return.
The son soon wastes his inheritance, makes a complete mess of his life and winds up feeding pigs. He sets off home again unsure of the welcome he will receive. To his surprise his father welcomes him home and throws a party to celebrate his return.
Like the son we too have rejected God, taken our inheritance and squandered it. We were supposed to nurture and care for the created world, not exploit it for our own ends – animals are supposed to roam free and not be caged and sold in markets.
God still loves us and won’t force us to stay with him. So, for now, he lets us go our own way and make a mess of things, hoping and longing that one day we’ll return.
It is no longer possible to listen to this story in the iOS version of the app but you can do so by subscribing to Turn The page in Apple podcasts.