Article February 18, 1905 Issue

The Prodigal Son

R. M. STROTHER.

To realize in any measure the truth of the statement that God's work is complete, and that He has ordered, decreed, and provided all things for man, is helpful, and those who are just turning to Christian Science are encouraged and stimulated when they are made to understand that the work to be done, the steps to be taken, are theirs. In a recent conversation along these lines with one who was seeking help and who had expressed a desire to know something of Christian Science, that pearl of parables,—the parable of the prodigal son,—was made use of with good effect. The thought expressed was this: as mortals we have wandered into a far country, far away from God, and we feed mentally on husks, the material things of the world, until we find ourselves starving, and then we resolve to return to our Father's house. When we have started on the journey, and are "yet a great way off," He lovingly meets us, reveals Himself to us, and accompanies us all the way to the abiding place of divine Love. Arriving there, we find great abundance, and it dawns upon us that all the while we were feeding on husks there was a full supply in our Father's house, and we did not enjoy it simply because we sought for it in the wrong direction. The process of coming to our Father is purely mental, and the parable illustrates clearly the point in question; viz., that God has already done all things well, that in His house everything is provided for His children, and it only remains for us to claim our heritage. It also makes clear the fact that God will welcome us and guide us into His kingdom when we resolve to leave materiality and start on the way Spirit-ward. One who has sought substance, and peace, and happiness in all the highways and byways of the world is in a position to appreciate the parable of the prodigal son.

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