The Prodigal Son Post-Pandemic

AM Psalm 38 • PM Psalm 119:25-48
Deut. 4:25-31 • 2 Cor. 1:23-2:17 • Luke 15:1-2,11-32

Today’s passage from Luke comes in the middle of a sort of Greatest Hits list; “Parable of the Lost Sheep”, “Parable of the Lost Coin, and “Parable of the Dishonest Manager. All of those surround the story of the “Parable of the Prodigal Son and His Brother.” As parables do, these stories (the Prodigal Son in particular) remind us that the “way things are” is not the way things have to be.

As we emerge more and more from this pandemic, that lesson has been at the forefront of my mind. We claim to want to get “back to normal” – much like the prodigal son finally returning home. But was pre-pandemic life that great? Sure, we didn’t have to wear a mask all the time, but what have we learned?

Our economy slowed down, reminding us that a nation built on the back of its most overworked and underpaid individuals is not infallible. We stayed in our social bubbles, helping us practice connection and value deep relationships. We checked in on one another’s mental health, making space for conversations about collective grief and trauma. We had to practice real patience with ourselves and others, forgiving and honoring where we were each day and letting go of expectations of productivity and perfection.

When we do fully emerge from pandemic living, I am not particularly interested in going back to the “way things were.” I do not want to be the prodigal son who comes home to the same household where I did not belong before. Instead, I want to return to the new household, the one that is filled with love and grace that says I am welcome just as I am. The “way things were” is not the way things have to be.

Written by Emma Mitchell

When not serving the youth and families of St. Paul’s, I can be found doing various craft projects, hanging out with my husband Dave, or entertaining our small menagerie of animals.