Many times because of our father-wounds we resist any of the times God reaches out to love us. We can’t accept his love because we wrongly believe that we are not worthy. We are so conscious of our sinfulness that we have a hard time to be open to the loving mercy and forgiveness of the Father. The father of the prodigal son rushed to embrace and kiss his son when he returns home, but the son initially resists the father’s embrace and love since the son knows what he has done and thus is not deserving of such lavish affection. But the father is persistent for he sees his son, not the run away; he is more happy that the son has chosen to return and is not interested in the sordid details during his alienation from the father. The son seeks only to be a hired hand, but the father refuses anything less than full sonship.

So when God seeks to break thru the resisting walls of our darkened tomb, instead of initially welcoming his embracing arms, we try to push him away; we try to run, we try to deny or question why and how God could or would enter into my self imposed darkness with his dazzling light. But in spite of our efforts of resistance, God persists in love to speak words of love and life and freedom and newness and wholeness. We fight, we struggle but God will not withdraw. It is almost like we know if we resist long enough God will give up and prove that what we fear was real. What is that? He does not love us no matter what he says to the contrary.

Some of us prefer to settle for a hug rather than an embrace. A hug is one-sided. And embrace is received and mutually and freely responded to. A hug says, something from the one hugging but is not received fully by the one hugged, who is also making a statement. But an embrace is welcomed, received, responded to and a gift of love is exchanged. In an embrace you are included and enclosed in the arms of the other and the other in your arms. (To be continued)