In

one of my earliest memories, I remember being a frightened little boy

sitting in a police car. With the two-way radio crackling and the

roof-light flashing, we drew up to police headquarters near a

sprawling park in Queens, New York City. I had wandered from my

family’s picnic on one of the park’s long paths through the

woods. Mom and Dad had searched for me frantically, imagining the

dangers to their child in a city of 8 million strangers. My heart

leaped: there they were! Hugs and kisses and endearing words

followed, and effusive thanks to the officer, and immense relief.

Jesus

told a story about a wandering, lost son. The heart-wrenching agony

of the father in that story would have been greater even than my

parents endured when I was lost as a child. The son in Jesus’ story

was full-grown, and by asking for his share of the inheritance, he

was telling his dad that he wished he were dead. The father could

have gotten angry and disowned the son, but instead, with compassion

like that of God the Father, he kept the door open and waited for his

son to return to his senses.

Could

there be anything more powerful than God’s love for us? The gospel

is not just some philosophical exercise but a heart-wrenching,

real-life drama that brings us to tears of gratitude. It moves us to

turn back and follow Jesus, to live as our loving Father calls us to.