"The younger son decided to take his money, leave home and spend it on wild living." I said.
Woah! Their eyes were big. Smiles on their faces. Michael echoed everyone's thoughts.
"What is living!?"
He didn't know what it was, but it sure sounded good!
Now, that is THE question, isn't it? Jesus was asked that one on a number of occasions, and in a number of ways. He often times gave answers that were really confusing to people.
I thought about what brought me and my wife April to East Palo Alto. I was recently married, and we were looking for God. While we enjoyed church, and Bible studies, that wasn't enough. We wanted to see God in action! What better place than EPA? Sometimes I wonder why we are here, and I realize, while its not easy, "This is living!"
Well, I went on to explain to these young squirrely children, that "wild living" was partying, and staying up all night, and buying whatever you wanted. "Alright!" Boy, that sounded great to them.
This wasn't going so well.
Then we got to the part about running out of money, and feeding pigs, but not being able to eat what the pigs were eating. I got to see a light dawn in their eyes that what they thought was living, was short lived. That wasn't the answer.
Jesus gives a couple more examples in this parable. The first son we discover was very responsible, but he had no joy at his younger brother's return. It makes me wonder what he was living for. The father in the parable saw an occasion to forgive and to celebrate. The Bible is full of these occasions to celebrate. Sounds to me like he was really living.
What is "living" to you?
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