“…and was filled with compassion,” reads the passage from Luke’s Gospel today (vs. 20). The story of the prodigal son is a familiar one for many Christians. However, I think it offers a special chance for reflection this Lent. Lent offers the believer the opportunity each year to reflect on his/her habits and to recognize his/her failings, like the son in this particular passage from Luke’s Gospel. Yet, during this season of Lent, we are also offered to let go of our burdens and to come join God and rest in Her presence.

Lent is a time of the year in which we are brought face to face with the reality of our existence as humans, that we, like other living things, will die. We live in a society that struggles to celebrate death and in one where death is greatly feared. The culture in the United States, in my opinion, can be described as dog-eat-dog. Forgiveness is not a concept that is built into our social mode, just look at the way people drive in our major cities and the road rage that accompanies many commutes. We are human beings; we are programmed to make mistakes. Perfection is beyond our capabilities. This all too familiar gospel story fundamentally reminds us of this aspect of our lived reality. Forgiveness truly does have the capacity to move mountains and to change lives because it unites us in our fundamentally flawed natures and through this union we are brought to perfection. In forgiving, we are able to imitate one aspect of God’s nature. Thus, forgiveness, like the father teaches his eldest son, is the best way we can love those around us.

I find it a privilege to be writing the daily reflection for today because today marks the twelfth anniversary of my late Grandma Margaret’s death. Much like the father in the story, she was a woman who practiced great hospitality. In her gentle nature, she taught me the importance of compassion, which means to suffer with. The father recognized how much his son had suffered and was filled with anguish. My grandmother always believed in the good in others… even if at times it is covered in a layer of dust or soot. She taught me that some people just need a little more time to let their colors shine through and it is worth the wait to see the brilliance.