4th Sunday of Lent - God of options

Why does it matter that God always forgives? Why does it matter to have God in our lives and even celebrate that God wants us?

Being lost is a bad experience. Lost, meaning I don’t know where I am in the world. Whether up in the mountains or in the middle of Manhattan, when we are lost it is frightening, confusing, disorienting. Been there, seen it, done it.

Being lost emotionally, mentally, spiritually can be the same. It is hard to think. Overwhelmed by emotions; can’t make decisions, hard to have hope; all we see is gray. Been there, seen it and done that too.

To be honest, not sure which is worse: physically lost or emotionally-spiritually lost?

Many of us know or have known lost people; lost in their addictions, lost in their anger and bitterness; lost in their sorrow and grief. We can feel powerless because it seems there is very little we can do to bring them home to us, to themselves. If only they would just stop drinking, doing the drugs…. If only they could stay away from those casinos, those websites… If only they would talk to me, to anyone and find healing…. If only…

People who are lost feel like there are very few options. Their choices feel limited and often cannot see a way out or a way back. Often it is just easier so sit and stay lost. This just compounds the situation, makes it worse. Eventually some, feeling there are no other options, do something drastic.

This part of the Gospel of Luke has three parables: the lost sheep, the lost coin and the lost sons. The lost sons is the most apt title for this Gospel, one that we can get familiar with and think we know it, but in doing so we lose the power of what Jesus teaches us: Why God matters; why it matters that God always forgives.

Older Son, in a blatant display of arrogance, bitterness and anger; older son who does thinks his only option as son is to act like a slave; Older Son saw no other options. He did what he was told, but with little love in his heart. He sits lost in his own home. He can’t even see the love of his father.

Younger son, in a blatant display of arrogance and selfishness, and maybe seeing his older brother miserable and wanting no part of it tells the Father he wants his inheritance now, and when he does get it, he goes away, from family and land. He lives for himself; and when it is all gone: he is lost. No home, no family, nothing..  Younger son only sees two options: stay and die in shame, or return in shame, but live as a servant even like his older brother, but be alive. So he returns home.

And in that amazing touching scene, the Father races to meet him; embraces him and gives him another option: return as my beloved son; return to the role you were born into.

And in the other amazing and unresolved scene, the Father goes to the older son, reminds him that he is his beloved son too; come and be a part of the family. Will he enter? Will he see his option for life?

God matters, the forgiveness of God matters, the Love of God matters because God brings options, options for life.

When we rely only on ourselves, and our imaginations (or lack thereof like the older brother); when we rely only on our things: we limit ourselves. We go unfulfilled in this world. We do not live up to our potential nor do we permit others to live up to theirs. Living for ourselves makes the universe and the world way too small. Look at our world! Such potential and yet we still repeat the same tropes; violence, death, egotism. We think certain politics, certain policies will make a difference.

Belief in God, in the transcendent, in the Almighty pulls us out of ourselves and our smallness, and God shows us new ways to live and thrive.

What is the first step in the twelve steps? Acknowledge a higher power, one higher than whatever we think we need: alcohol, drugs, etc. Then we can see more. Then the power of those things becomes reduced.

Lost in our anger, our egos, our self-centeredness? God gives us forgiveness, peace, compassion so that we can see a different way of living with others.  Lost in grief, sorrow…God calls us to hope, and we can believe in a tomorrow and joy.  Too many people feel that their only options involve death: in all its forms from the lies and gossip, to the passive aggressions to the active aggression.

God forgives us and God will always welcome us home: this is the power and the revelation of the Resurrection. When we get lost in our sins, and think we are not worthy, God says “Yes we are worthy!” If worthy, then so many other options for life await us and those around us.

Those seeking power thought their only option was to kill Jesus; those who felt threatened by Jesus felt that their only option was to kill Jesus; God raised him up and gave him back and said, there are always options for life.

This is our mission as Catholics, as Christians: to go live life and to show that there are always options for life!  We who believe in the resurrection, who eat and drink of the resurrected body and blood of Christ, we know there are always options for life. We must provide them to others, and we have found them too.  We must not give up on anyone nor ourselves.  This is why we have people at our doors:  we wait for people to come and we welcome!

The ministry of our parish and whole church ought to do this. Ministry provides to our youth the foundation for which to see all the options. Ministry to Adults builds on the foundation and helps adults to live it out and share it with their own families. Ministry to those who grieve help to see that there is life. Ministry to those who hunger, those who struggle with loneliness and more…show that there are always options for life.

God is life; we are created to be alive. Let’s be alive! This is why God matters.