Unlike the past to parts this part follows a slightly different pattern of separating ideas. Where as the last two have talked about the leaving and the returning of the sons, this one breaks the part into the Welcoming and the call for celebration. In the section where it discuses the father’s welcoming home his sons home, the key word to recognize is sons. The plural indicate that both the Younger and the Elder sons are welcomed home by their father. One is not more or less than the other brother, they are equal in their father’s eyes. The father although sees their qualities as equal, also realizes that the are not the same person, but still wants them to know that they do belong to the same household and the same father. (pg. 105) What this emphasizes is the fact that, “ love existed before any rejection was possible and that will still be there after all rejections have taken place.” The father (God) doesn’t allow the rejections to effect what he think of his sons. Now if one could adapt these qualities, which is part of Nouwen’s thesis, that eventually after going through the “son” stages we should be mature spiritual to make steps in becoming the
Unlike the past to parts this part follows a slightly different pattern of separating ideas. Where as the last two have talked about the leaving and the returning of the sons, this one breaks the part into the Welcoming and the call for celebration. In the section where it discuses the father’s welcoming home his sons home, the key word to recognize is sons. The plural indicate that both the Younger and the Elder sons are welcomed home by their father. One is not more or less than the other brother, they are equal in their father’s eyes. The father although sees their qualities as equal, also realizes that the are not the same person, but still wants them to know that they do belong to the same household and the same father. (pg. 105) What this emphasizes is the fact that, “ love existed before any rejection was possible and that will still be there after all rejections have taken place.” The father (God) doesn’t allow the rejections to effect what he think of his sons. Now if one could adapt these qualities, which is part of Nouwen’s thesis, that eventually after going through the “son” stages we should be mature spiritual to make steps in becoming the