The Prodigal God

Just finished The Prodigal God by Tim Keller. Pretty good stuff. His main point is that in the parable of the Prodigal Son we often focus on the younger brother, the one who lives the free and easy life, blows his inheritance and then comes crawling back in shame only to be greeted warmly by his father. But there is another character, the resentful elder brother who is unhappy that the father has welcomed back the wayward son because the elder brother has always done what he was supposed to out of duty.

I didn't find it life-changing but it is an interesting look at the parable. As Keller points out, many of our churches are full of "elder brothers" who expect that because they have done what they are supposed to, grace becomes almost owed to them. They obey out of a sense of duty alone, instead of out of joy. People who look out of place in traditional churches often feel out of place in the sanitized church and as such rarely come back. It is alleged that the church is open to all, but try going into a traditional institutional church looking out of whack and see how comfortable you feel. I wear a suit and frankly I look good all the time, I never get a second glance and people normally go out of their way to greet me. But the wayward soul who just got out of the pigsty? How welcome do they feel?

Keller does take some of the analogy a bit far and the extra stories and anecdotes got to be a bit cumbersome. I also objected a bit to the "salvation is communal" idea he throws in late in the book. The book probably could have been a long article posted on the web because the book got kind of repetitive at points. But overall, it is a worthwhile read, and it isn't a terribly long or difficult book. Grab a copy at the library and give it a shot this weekend.