Wouldn't it be wonderful if we could love our wounded and bleeding world into life? We can! We share in Christ's ministry of reconciliation, which is overcoming the boundaries of hatred, anger, selfishness, and injustice in order to reconcile people to one another and to God.

The parable of the Prodigal Son is often thought of as a story of forgiveness, and in some respects it is. But on another level, it is the story of the soul's journey through life. The father lets the young son go his way because he knows that he must learn wisdom and the lessons of life on his own. In a sense, there was no need for him to forgive the son, for he was never angry at him in the first place, only overjoyed that he returned safely. The elder son was angry because he felt that he had been unjustly treated, and at first it might appear that he had a point. But he was always a son, the old man says, and everything already belonged to him. He couldn't see that! He was so fearful about making a mistake or losing what he had that he never really lived. The younger son knew that he was a son, and knew that he could take whatever he wanted. When we look at our own lives, or that of another, we can never judge or condemn. A soul is working its way to God. There are some important - and sometimes painful - lessons to learn. We should rejoice when others find their way. And we should never pass judgement on our own lives. They are a mystery known only to God.