Happy Easter!! As a Christian, this holiday holds quite a bit of gravity for me. Many of you have heard the Easter story. God sent his only son down to Earth to bear our suffering and pay the price for our sin once and for all. He died a brutal death but rose three days later, conquering death once and for all and opening the gate to heaven. (If you haven’t heard the Easter story and/or want to know more about it, @Chamomiile- explains it beautifully in her Easter project so I’d recommend checking that out or just ask me in the comments and I’d love to dive in deeper with you ^^) but I’m going to actually tell you a different story. Unlike the Easter story, it’s not a true story but rather a parable that Jesus told before his arrest illustrating God’s heart. Some theologians even say it sums up the entire Bible. A wealthy man had two sons. His younger son decided one day to ask his father for all his inheritance that he should have received after his father’s death now. His father, surprisingly enough, agreed. The younger son immediately sold all the possessions and spent all the money on reckless living. Soon enough, the money ran out and he was forced to find a job feeding the pigs- the lowest of the low. He was so hungry he would even take the food the pigs ate- but he didn’t even get that. Finally, he came to his senses and realized that even his father’s servants had it better than this, so he decided he would return home and ask to just be a servant for he thought his father could never accept him as a son again after what he did. But when his father saw him, he came /running/ towards him and embraced him and kissed him- so glad that he finally came home. He immediately went and threw a party in the younger son’s honor. The older son however, refused to join the celebration. His father noticed and came to ask why he was upset. The older son said, “I have stayed here and done everything right and yet you throw /him/ a party??” His father replied, “my son, everything I have is yours. But your brother was dead and now he is alive. He was lost but now he is found.” Perhaps you are the younger brother. You’ve strayed from God and ran from his love, claiming you would be better without him and seeking joy in the other things you think will make you happy- whether it’s material possessions, affirmation or even something such as good grades and a bright future that /you/ want to be in control of. You’ve been so lost in your sin and rejection you don’t think God would ever want you back. But he does!! He loves you so so much and he will come running to you the second you decide to finally come home. Perhaps you are the older brother. You grew up in the church. You’ve memorized the verses by heart. You have done “everything right” by the standards of the Law. But the older brother is just as lost as the younger brother. He wants credit for his good works. He wants to /earn/ something that is freely given. He’s the person that sees a Christian swear and internally deems them less of a Christian. But that’s not what God wants. He wants your heart and he wants you to rejoice with your brothers and sisters who come home! I for one, have been both. I spent so much time trying to be a perfect Christian that I became so lost. It took me to be the prodigal son to realize exactly how lost I’ve been. But even in just these past couple weeks I’ve made the journey back home and you know what God did? He /ran/ toward me and embraced me. He took my worries and anxieties as if whispering in my ear: “My daughter, why have you been carrying these so long? I’ve got this. I will take your burdens in my left hand and your hand in my right and we will walk through this dark time together.” And that amazing truth makes me so happy for the first time in a long time. I don’t know what your relationship with Christ is like. Maybe you’re a younger brother. Maybe you’re an older brother. Maybe you don’t even believe in God at all. But I want to live in fellowship with you. Please tell me your prayer requests. Tell me your struggles and your drawbacks in Faith. And if you have any questions, ask! I will answer to the best of my ability. All I know is that life can be really hard, but we don’t have to go through it alone. God is with us and would do literally anything for us. He loves you more than you can possibly fathom. Happy Easter, guys <3 Song is Reckless Love
