Not Invited to the Party

Psalm [83] or 23, 27 • Psalm 85, 86
Joel 2:21-27 • James 1:1-15 • Luke 15:1-2,11-32

The story of the prodigal son is well worn territory. In an attempt to approach it with fresh eyes I read this passage today using the practice of Sacred Imagination. Saint Ignatius promoted this practice, imagining ourselves into a Gospel story, the way Jesus entered into the narrative of the world, in order to better align ourselves with God’s vision.

Listening to the story anew, I was pulled into the narrative by the line, “Now his elder son was in the field; and when he came and approached the house, he heard music and dancing.” I imagined myself walking up to a house at dusk, the moon coming up over the horizon, sore from a long day spent working my land, ready to sit down and relax over a hot meal. I imagined instead seeing the house, my house, lit up with music and a crowd laughing and singing. And I felt in my body the immense loneliness of that moment for the older brother; that feeling of not being invited to the party. For him, that lonely feeling overpowers any joy he may have felt at having his own brother finally home and safe.

The older brother refuses to go in the house because he’s so upset. He misses out on the party entirely because he digs into his anger and hurt. He refuses to acknowledge any pain his brother may have been in all these years, or the agony that led him to make some questionable choices. The worldview of the older brother is so black and white and that there’s no room for any gray areas, no room for an existence which could validate both his and his brother’s experiences.

Why do we let our negative emotions overpower the simple joy of a moment? When we feel slighted how quickly we become blind to the good that remains. We feel as though all things must be good or bad, right or wrong, and we don’t leave a lot of room for things to be both.

The father of these brothers loves them equally. God has deemed them both beloved and worthy, despite their flaws. Today’s reading calls me to remember that there is room for both brothers in the house. To know in my heart that the party has already started and everyone is invited.

Written by Emma Mitchell

When not serving the youth and families at St. Paul’s, Emma is spending lots of time at home, learning how to thrive in a pandemic, with her husband Dave and small menagerie of animals.