Gentlepeople,
In last week’s reflection on the barren fig tree, I mentioned my discomfort with the use of “there but for the grace of God go I.” Because it is used to convey humility in the light of someone else’s bad fortune, it begs the question, “Do you think God’s grace was not with that person?” God’s grace freely given.
By now, you’ve probably figured out that I like to look words up in the dictionary. So I did. From https://www.etymonline.com/word/prodigal:
prodigal (adj.)
c. 1500, of persons, “given to extravagant expenditure, lavish, wasteful,” a back-formation from prodigality, or else from French prodigal and directly from Late Latin prodigalis, from Latin prodigus “wasteful,” from prodigere “drive away, waste,” from pro “forth” (from PIE root *per- (1) “forward”) + agere “to set in motion, drive; to do, perform” (from PIE root *ag- “to drive, draw out or forth, move”).
God is the prodigal. Extravagant and lavish in grace and love. I also mentioned that God does not call us a waste of soil, space, time, energy. We are called worthy, even if we do wonder. God ‘s grace and love is with us in our wanderings, our doubts and fears, questions of faith, and returns.
Speaking of a return, I invite you to join us this Sunday at 10 am in person or on Zoom, as we welcome retired former pastor of Island United, Michael Hollingshead, as he shares his reflection “The Prodigal in All of Us.” I look forward to seeing you. Tell a friend!
Peace,
Rev. Michael Cronin