Returning to the Father

MARGARETHE SCHRÖTER

The parable of the prodigal son is a great favorite with many of us; and in the light which our textbook, "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" by Mary Baker Eddy, sheds upon the Bible, the deep meaning of the parable becomes clear.

The second son, having received "the portion of goods" that fell to him, wandered away from his beautiful, harmonious home, away from the care of his loving father, and "wasted his substance with riotous living." The father remained at home, continually surrounded by harmony. The son's belief in separation from his father brought its own punishment, and the boy went from bad to worse until, in humility, he resolved to return home and to beg to be accepted, not as a son, but as one of the many hired servants of his father. On his return, his father joyfully received him as a son, as if he never had left.

Do we not often feel that we too have drifted into material pleasures and pains far away from our loving Father; that we have wasted many precious opportunities, have squandered and left unused many a fine talent of spiritual power and perception which our heavenly Father has bestowed upon man? But after we have become wholly dissatisfied with the husks of materiality, like the son in the parable we too turn our thoughts back to our heavenly home, which, seemingly, we have left, and begin to return to our loving Father, from whom man has never been separated.

Can anyone doubt that our rightful place is waiting for us, and that our Father-Mother God is ever ready to welcome us back in order that we too may partake of His blessing, even as the father blessed the elder son in the parable, saying, "Son, thou art ever with me, and all that I have is thine"? Do we realize what this simple sentence means, "All that I have is thine"? Unspeakable spiritual gifts are often hidden from our sight by our apparent lack of spiritual perception. Still, God's creative command, "Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion," has never changed and will never change. Referring to man's God-given dominion, our Leader writes (Science and Health, p. 518), "He is lord of the belief in earth and heaven,—himself subordinate alone to his Maker." Through this teaching we begin to glimpse the possibilities which spiritual understanding unfolds. Nothing real and good is withheld from God's idea, man; and we need only to remain in this understanding of the unity which exists between God and man, between the Father and His spiritual child, who always reflects and expresses His goodness, intelligence, power, and perfection. Then we too shall enjoy harmony and peace.

There need be no sorrowful thoughts or recollections after we have once turned back, because whatever may have seemed to come between the Father and us could have been nothing but a dream. The prophet declared of God, "Thou art of purer eyes than to behold evil, and canst not look on iniquity." What He does not take cognizance of, we cannot know; for in reality nothing but good exists. As our revered Leader says (ibid., p. 208), "Let us learn of the real and eternal, and prepare for the reign of Spirit, the kingdom of heaven, — the reign and rule of universal harmony, which cannot be lost nor remain forever unseen."

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