I was browsing YouTube today looking for a clip on forgiveness. There were many, featuring learned people giving their views on the need for forgiveness, biblical references to mercy and forgiveness, and how to forgive. I then stumbled across this little 5 minute cartoon called “The Angry Bee” from a group called Latter Day Kids. I assume they are associated with Mormons, the Church of Latter Day Saints. The cartoon begins showing a hive of bees flying around having a blast together. The were flying in formations, going on flower hunts together, going on “bee races” (I didn’t know bees raced…did you?). And they even had competitions to see who could fly the highest. Life was just Bee-utiful. and if they accidently flew into each other, one would say “I’m sorry”, in bee language, of course. The other would say, “that’s OK. I forgive you” and then they would go back to Bee-ing bees.
However, when one bee made a bee-line (I am just gonna keep this up, so get used to it) for another bee and they bumped bee heads, one said, “I’m sorry” but the second bee turned red and said “I am not going to forgive you”. And the angry bee flew off to a leaf and sat there determined to stay there all day and not participate in the fun the rest of the bees were having. He was bee-side himself with anger. He was going to stay there alone until the other bee also felt bad. Well, that didn’t happen. The apologetic bee went about his day having fun with the group. They even asked the angry bee to join them but he refused, determined to not give in.
Well, after awhile he realized all the fun he was missing. The only one getting bee-ten up over all this was…HIM!! His frown turned to a smile, he forgave the repentant bee, he rejoined the group and life was good again.
I have heard it said that being angry at someone who has asked for forgiveness is like drinking poison yourself and expecting it to hurt the other person. When all it does is make you ill and the other person remains oblivious.
In today’s Gospel we see the very familiar parable of the Prodigal Son. The son asks his Father to give him his share of the inheritance now, before his Father had died. Essentially saying, he wished his Father was dead. He took his fortune and wasted it on a progressively sinful life until he sunk to the depths of tending a pig herd. For a Jew, the lowest of all lows.
He decided to return to his Father but resolved to ask forgiveness for his sins against his Father and God and doing penance by taking on the role of a servant. He decided to return not because he was forced to. His Father was wealthy. He could have sent an army of men to retrieve his son against his will. No, the Father waited and likely prayed for his son. Waiting for him to decide to return on his own. By his own free will.
And when they met, it was clear the Father was waiting for him since he saw his son approaching from a long way off. And the Father did not even let his son finish his rehearsed apology speech. He welcomed him home by throwing him a big feast. Inviting everyone to the party. Including the Angry Bee…his brother.
Even though his Father had forgiven his son, the brother could not accept it. Refusing to participate in the celebration. Refusing to partake in the bee race and the flower hunt. Remaining outside of the gathering of family and friends. Drinking the poison and hoping it would hurt his brother.
And why was he mad? Sure he was getting a party that he never got from his Father. But was that really it? No, I don’t think so. I think he was mostly angry because of how easy his Father forgave his brother. He worked his whole life keeping his Father’s rules and tending to the Father’s business. He followed the letter of the law. His brother? He lived a depraved life and only very recently came back asking for forgiveness. He should have to earn that forgiveness, shouldn’t he? If wasn’t fair that he toiled for so long to earn his Father’s approval while his brother just waltzed in to receive it without so much as lifting a finger.
But his Father tells him that all he has belongs to his elder son. It was always that way and will stay that way. But his younger brother has come home. It is not about money and property. It is about returnign to the love of the Father. Like the Marty Haugen hymm says. “Return to God, with all your heart. The source of grace and mercy. Come seek the tender faithfullness of God”.
But like the angry bee, we cannot return to God or the communion of believers while we hold a grudge. We sit on that leaf letting our anger form an impenetrable wall between us and the love of God. We don’t know if the older brother finally came around, forgave his brother and joined the party. We don’t know if his heart softened or remained steadfast in his hatred. We do know that the Father would be ready to forgive him. It wouldn’t matter when he decided, by his own free will, to repent and return. And this, I believe, is the real message of the Prodigal Son. That the Father, OUR FATHER, is always waiting for us to return to Him. Doesn’t matter what we have done or when we ask to re-enter the community. He is always looking out across the horizon for us to appear so he can run with open arms and say “welcome home my child…welcome home”. You can bee-lieve it!!
