When we listen to the parable of the prodigal son (Lk15:1-32) from the perspective of the Father’s command – eternal life on this earth (Jn12:50; Mt6:10) – the whole of the story comes alive; the truth within the story is revealed. Our seeing develops as we listen as well from the perspective of work – intentional work and working – and from the perspective of community – it takes community to carry out intentional work.
The father’s farm is the farm of life – the farm on which the unfolding of life is intended to become eternal. The farm takes community to operate… each having purpose, work and role in the ongoingness of the whole of life, the life of the whole. Consider the behavior of the prodigal son. He did not see this. He was looking from the perspective of existence as he asked for his inheritance – his part of earth’s life resources – and squandered what he was given… dispersed and did not use them for the ongoingness of life. He separated himself from the garden; did not see himself as having an essential part in the ongoingness of life.
When he returned, the father was thrilled. The son had been dead… dead to life, and causing death to life. Now he was returning to his work, to take up his work and fill his role in the intended. Cause for celebration. He would no longer be dissipating life, no longer living a life of dissipation; and he would be with the father in the work of the Father’s command, eternalizing life (Jn12:50).
The son who had been on the farm all along, although he was doing all that was asked of him, following the commands of his father, did not understand either. In some ways he might be called the “good” son… working on being good, being seen as good. Yet he still was more interested in inheritance from an existence perspective than he was from the mind of essence, the mind of intent and intended ways. He was attached to punishment, not to forgiveness. He had not squandered life, but he had yet to, with all his heart, all his mind, all his spirit and all his soul, answered “Yes” to the work of the Father, answered “Yes” to intended ways of life, to the eternalizing life work.
Neither grasped the truth of the situation. It takes community to see and take up the work we inherit… the responsibility for the ongoingness of life on this earth. The intent was and is that we live in community, community taking up the work of intent and intended ways of life… work intended since the beginning of life entering earth. Our inheritance is not that which is handed over to us in existence, but the inheritance of the responsibility for life, for the intended eternal ongoingness of life on this earth.
We, each and all, whether we are the prodigal son or the good son, are now being called to enter into community, called to taking up intended work and role in the perpetuation of life on this earth. When we answer “Yes” to the work, this is a time for celebration of the Source… for we have been dead and have come to life; we were lost and have been found. Forgiveness is the beginning, not the end; forgiveness is the welcoming of us into the work… as we consciously and conscientiously choose to take up our work, our work in and with community, our particular work in the ongoing upward unfolding of life on this earth.
Blessed are the meek communities, for they shall inherit the earth (Mt5:5).
