Parable of the Prodigal Son

A Sermon Delivered
by
Rev. Sándor Balázs
at the
UU Congregation of Fairfax
on
November 16, 2003

Rev. Balázs is minister of UUCF's Transylvanian partner church, the Unitarian Church of Szentgerice (Galateni), Romania. This sermon was translated from Hungarian by Emery Lazar.

Dear Fairfax Congregation, my dear American Brothers and Sisters:

It is a great honor for me to be here among you for the third time, for the second time with my family. Thank you for this opportunity; I am very grateful for it. Some of you have already observed that we Transylvanian Unitarian ministers traditionally use the Bible, particularly the Gospels, as the underlying theme for our sermons. Even though the foundation for our sermons and their contents may differ from what you are accustomed to, the objectives are the same: to make our lives more meaningful, more beautiful and more happy.

I like the parable about the prodigal son, because in this moral lesson Jesus defined his faith in God and man. I consider this parable to be the essence of our Transylvanian Unitarian faith. I am sure that here, too, in a society endowed with material well-being, there are situations in life when one loses all hope and yearns for an idealized condition. This yearning lifts us up and encourages us to seek what is good, gives us strength not to give up the struggle, and it gives purpose to our lives. We call this idealized condition the Kingdom of God. Unfortunately, in the faith professed by many religions, the image of God is that of an angry, vengeful and punishing supreme being, and therefore many people cannot feel free and liberated, even in their faith. In contrast, this parable of Jesus affirms the true essence of divinity: a God who is always ready to forgive and lovingly welcomes back his children. Here, Jesus uses the father figure of the parable to define his belief in God and God's relation to man.

We, East-Central Europeans, have a great need for such a concept of the divine, because at least in our faith we can feel that we are important, that we were born for a purpose, not just to be means toward an objective. And it is from you, our American brothers and sisters, that we received most of what enables us to search, find, and be fulfilled in our human dignity.

The parable that we have just heard is simple: it's about a father and his two children. In most sermons dealing with this passage of Luke's gospel, ministers focus their attention on the younger brother, the prodigal son, forgetting that the older brother has an equally important role. Each time I read this parable, I am somehow reminded of our Transylvanian-North American sibling church relationships. We, Transylvanians, are the victims of a system that for more than 40 years wasted our lives, propelled us into a dark past, while most of the rest of the world was progressing forward. Communism used us as a tool for reaching an objective; you know what objective I am thinking of. You, the older sibling, have never been judgmental toward us but have shown understanding, and we often ask ourselves the question: what causes all this caring, empathy and desire to help? Etched in your souls is the essence of universal morality which expresses itself not by belief in articles of faith and dogmas but by the conduct of your lives, by your good deeds.

One of our great writers, Elek Benedek, was 34 when he wrote to his 8-year-old son the following testament: "if your are thinking only of yourself, if only your own wound hurts, go to the depths of the dense forest, but if you live among people, accept your share of every true, honest and just struggle." You, our North American brothers and sisters, have accepted your share of every true, honest and just struggle. You have assumed the role of the understanding and caring older sibling, in close to 200 partner church relationships.

• It is a statement of fact, not an exaggeration: you are the tools of providence in our lives; this is the noblest calling, there is nothing better or more beautiful. We thank you for it.
  
  
• I can state truthfully and with full responsibility that during the past 13 years Romanian society has not done as much for Szentgerice as you, the Fairfax congregation, the older sibling. You are the ones who have made us realize that we are not just means toward a goal but that our lives and our happiness are the true objectives. We thank you.
  
  
• When the village caretaker or I use the school bus to take a patient to a medical specialist for examination, we often experience the dignity that should characterize all human beings: When we go to villagers' homes to pick them up for the trip, they are mostly embarrassed and apologetic, saying that they could have walked to the center of the village to be picked up. But an unmistakable joy is radiating from them: This is for me, it is someone's purpose to make my life easier.
  
  
• When teaching religion classes, as a pedagogue I recognize the children's capabilities and areas of interest. When a hardworking, talented young girl told me that she wanted to emulate her brothers and move to Hungary to become an agricultural itinerant worker, I objected to this thought with indignation, and this is what prompted me to ask you to establish a scholarship program. Your goodness has encouraged many young persons to look toward the future with hope, because you made it possible for them to correctly evaluate their potential and to continue their education.
  
  
• Szentgerice's "umbilical cord" is the school bus, which provides practical comfort for the children and peace of mind for the parents. It is the unanimous opinion of teachers and parents that the children's scholastic achievements have improved by one grade. You have provided this opportunity for the service of our children, to make their lives easier. We thank you.
  
  
• Some people may find this funny, but thanks to your help the kindergarteners and elementary school children now have become acquainted with and enjoy using running water and an English water closet.
  
  
• With these social services, a nationwide program has originated in Szentgerice. It's based on the concept of village caretaker, which has a twofold objective: to pay attention and thereby recognize the needy, and then to help them. Here we are talking about children, elderly people, and those who are sick and poor. Our thanks go to you again for being able to accomplish this. Your help has given us the means not only to wish good but to do good. To pursue this thought: we are not satisfied merely with what we have done, but we have called others by our example.
  
  
• I am fully aware that the broad-based social work which I a have organized in Szentgerice is possible thanks to you, because you have secured its financial foundation. The late Elek Kis, our former bishop, put it this way when he received his PhD degree: "I have to share this with my mother, because while I was studying, she was carrying the food to me." I, too, have to share our successes with you and my family, because this was genuine teamwork. And it is still teamwork today. When last year two Transylvanian civic organizations acknowledged my work with an award, I sincerely told them that after God, the UU Congregation of Fairfax and my family were most responsible for the accomplishments, and therefore I shared with them the acknowledgment.

As you will recall, in the parable the older brother does not want to enter the parental home, to celebrate in joy with the people assembled there. For us, the greatest joy is when you honor our humble homes with your presence. In many Szentgerice citizens' lives one of the greatest sources of pride is to have hosted an American friend.

The biblical story has a very sad ending. The prodigal but repentant son does not gain complete forgiveness, al least not from his entire family:

His father forgives him, but his older brother harbors hurt feelings and a judgmental attitude.

The father regains one of his children but loses the other one.

The older child continues his life in loneliness that is the characteristic of a selfish person.

How much more beautiful is the present reality: you consider us as your partners; we seek in each other what is valuable and good; you have taught us to smile more and to be more optimistic. Thank you.

Even though you acknowledge that your material help is important to us, at the same time you emphasize that our Transylvanian heritage, friendship and love represent a priceless value to you. A noble thought reaches fulfillment in Americans and Transylvanians alike: "whenever we give, that's when we really receive." We compete with each other in saying thanks, in expressing our gratitude; this is very beautiful. It is the most beautiful thing there is. Köszönöm.