Ukrainian Orthodoxy		Orthodoxie ukrainienne

Discover the True Code of the Universe

Very Reverend Ihor Kutash kutash@unicorne.org

(Sunday of the Prodigal Son )

"While he was yet at a distance, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him". This is what the Father does in Jesus' Parable of the Lost Son. He does not wait for his son to get to him to tell him what he wants, so that he would then have the advantage over him to tell him to come on in, or to leave. He ran to him. There was no doubt about he would tell his son to do. He welcomed his lost son with open arms.

In this parable Jesus shows us a striking example of God's compassion. He paints an exceedingly attractive picture of God, quite unlike that painted by other religious leaders. He shows God to be a Parent - a compassionate and loving Parent! This picture gives us a special reason to believe in God and to strive to live in conformity with His laws.

Jesus teaches us that the code of the universe is the code of love. It is not the code of the survival of the fittest. That code does indeed appear to operate in the world, but St. Paul called it "futility" to which creation has been subjected "in hope" (Romans 8:20), The deeper code, which underlies all others, is the code of love which is portrayed in this parable of the lost son. This code is described also described in I Corinthians chapter 13. We ought to read it many times over.

"Love does not insist on its own way", writes Paul (I Corinthians 13:5). There is no constraint in love. The Father of the parable did not wish to manipulate or coerce his son. That is why he gave his son his portion of what he stood to inherit and let him leave his house. When the son returned home, it was not because his Father forced him to do so. What brought him back was the experience of living according to the code of futility and the memory of what it was like to live in his Father's home. He returned home and when he did, he made a glorious discovery of a side of his Father of which he was unaware. He found that it was not only parental obligation that motivated his Father to act as he did. It was his love for his son!

The mystery of God's love is joyous and profound. It is not an easy thing to believe in, for the code of futility is very powerful in the world. The law of the jungle, of "might makes right" demands that we hear and obey. But Christians are called to be radical. They are called to believe in the code of love and live it, even though this appears to be futile.

We can do this only by deriving strength from our experience of that profound divine love underpinning and coursing invisibly through the universe. Let us dedicate ourselves to the discovery of this love during Lent. To this end let us meditate, fast, pray and act - in love and compassion.

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