Missing returns

The church today is full of younger prodigal sons who are broken and beat down after retreating away.  They retreated after they realized that God and the church itself do not always meet their expectations. The church today is full of older brothers who sit and watch the broken prodigals come crawling through our doors.  They watch with indignation and disgust; realizing that they have been obedient and honorable this whole time while the prodigals live a life of sin.

The church today fatally lacks Fathers who run to the broken with joyous tears and arms.  The absent father would be a refreshing open tenderness and mercy for those in the church today.  We greatly need but equally lack fathers and mothers who rejoice at the return of a prodigal and still proud of the older brother.

There are two problems!

ONE:  I myself am a prodigal and an older brother, but rarely a father.

TWO: The church is full of prodigals and older brothers but lacks Fathers.