The Prodigal Daughter and the Power of Love

One of the deepest desires in life is to leave a legacy, make a mark, or contribute to the community. Jesus compares our life to a seed that finds fulfillment when it bears fruit. Therefore, we can never discover meaning and happiness until we become fruitful.

I have heard of a hospice nurse who had many conversations with patients on their deathbeds. She was surprised to hear so many people talk about their regrets in their final moments—the things that they failed to do and the things they wish they had done.

Even Bertrand Russell, one of the most brilliant minds of the 20^th century, a peacemaker, and a prominent atheist, told his wife on his deathbed that he had never found peace in his life except in her arms. It sounded so romantic, but it was his fourth wife. The sad part is to hear that he never found peace in life.

The question is, what should we do so that we won’t regret it on our deathbeds? Is it given down or giving up? Giving down means contributing to the poor and needy. Giving up means offering to God.

The answer is worth exploring because we cannot afford to miss this wisdom if we want to leave a lasting legacy in life.

After some careful research, I found that the greatest contributions in human history are made by giving up, meaning by the power of love to our Creator because our devotion to the Creator makes us creative. Creativity is the key to leaving a lasting legacy.

I wonder if Bertrand Russell listened to classical music—Beethoven, Mozart, Handel, etc. I wonder if he appreciated the arts of Davinci, Michelangelo, Van Gogh, etc. These greatest artists drew their inspiration from the Creator, the Prodigal Father.

Last week we talked about God as the Prodigal Father, and this week we are given a passage to discuss the Prodigal Daughter. I didn’t plan it. I’m just following the lectionary, and the scripture lessons just fall together beautifully.

It prompted us to talk about the extravagant love of a woman as a perfect response to the extravagant love of God. In these extravagances, the greatest contributions in life take place. Maybe that’s why we call a genius a prodigy.

I am sure most of us are not dreaming about becoming a prodigy like Mozart or Michelangelo, but at least we want to find out what makes life flourish to the fullest so that we can also live a fruitful life and have no regret on our deathbed. Let’s begin.