A man had two sons, and the younger said to him, "give unto me mine share of the dosh - shame to wait till thou'rt dead."
So he gave him the dosh, and he went unto a far country where he spent it on Krispy Kreme donuts and Stella Artois. And when he had spent all his money, he got a job tending pigs.
So one day looketh he unto the pigs, and saith to himself, "bother this for a game of soldiers". So he goes to his father and saith, "Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. Now make me one of your servants."
But his father brought him into his house, and called the servants, and killed the fatted calf (which had done no harm to anyone, btw) and there was singing and dancing.
But the elder brother, when he heard, said, "Verily this is what happens when you start messing about with housimng benefit."
Off course, just as parents have celebrated the chicks flying the nest and got used to not having to pick up piles of dirty laundry from the floor - 'Nanny State, who knows best' decides to inflict unnatural and cruel punishment on them by driving the chicks back home.
ReplyDeleteWhat a cruel and sadistic government we have. Well, our door will be locked, we've actually moved and forgotten to tell the chicks were we are now. We live quietly in a safe, gated community with security guards at all points. It's called 'Chequers' or some such. Squatting rights trump Prime Minister's rights.
I always felt sorry for the older brother, who'd done all he could to help his father, and didn't even get to have a party with his friends! Meanwhile, Party Boy swans back in and gets everything.
ReplyDeleteIsn't that the point? We're too used to thinking of ourselves as the prodigals returning, when we have become the establishment (of which Jesus was not inclined to speak kindly) and need to be ready to accept that those that we think are beyond the pale may get into the kingdom ahead of us.
ReplyDeleteThe older brother should have enjoyed being with his Father all the time, instead of moaning that Junior got a party. I want to know what Mrs Prodigal was doing with the three useless menfolk in the family - the Father who's a soft touch, the libertine younger son and old stiff-upper-lip who's clearly all duty and no love.
ReplyDeleteYou are off course forgetting that these were the days of submissive, respectful females, whose obedience was taken for granted.
ReplyDeleteI'm not advocating that for the Arch Druid, but perhaps some of the down trodden Beaker folk might have it in the back of their minds :)