During Lent we have been reading and discussing “The Return of the Prodigal Son” by Henri Nouwen, a meditation on Rembrandt’s picture. Nouwen, a Dutch born theologian, describes first seeing a poster of this picture while staying at the L’Arche, a community in Trosly, France, for people with learning difficulties and their assistants. Later he was to commit his life to L’Arche and to join its community in Toronto. Just before he left Trosly he had the opportunity to view the original painting in St Petersburg. He describes how he was enabled to study the painting very closely for several hours.
In the book, he meditates on the picture, concentrating on each of the three main characters in turn. He identifies with the younger son, who demanded his inheritance and went abroad where he wasted all he had and lived miserably until he came to his senses and returned home. He also identifies with the elder son, who stayed at home and worked for his father, but who could not share in the joy of his brother’s homecoming.
Nouwen commented that the guides in St Petersburg described the painting as one of the compassionate father and he describes the parable as ‘The Parable of the Father’s Love’. In the painting he sees not only the love of a human father for his sons, but also the love of God for His children. The hands of the father in the portrait are interesting. One hand is strong and masculine and the other gentle and feminine. Nouwen sees in this the motherhood as well as the fatherhood of God. Nouwen also sees in the father a challenge to reflect God’s love in his own life.
We found that studying and discussing the book and the picture brought us to a deeper understanding of the story. The fact that it was a personal meditation rather than an explanatory text encouraged us to consider the issues for ourselves.
Chris Dunthorne
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