Emotions are the root of the human condition. These feelings we experience are in place in order, from a evolutionary instinct stand point, to help one figure out what is going on around him or her. Forgiveness is a trait that is easier said than done. It entails letting go of all the emotions attached to the resentment towards another person and just letting them be bygones without any other emotion evolving from doing so. Thus, making the act of forgiveness one of the hardest things humans have to do. "The Prodigal Son" gives a tactile viewpoint on the conditions of forgiveness and how it should be acted upon. In the parable the reader is only presented with three main characters: the eldest son, the prodigal son, and the father. These characters help to establish the different positions of forgiveness. The prodigal son is estranged and seeks forgiveness, the eldest son is used to have the perspective of the on looker, and the father is the focal point of the story to which the parable can carry its message of forgiveness.
The key to a good parable is to have open characters to which the reader can place him or herself into any role. This is no exception to "The Prodigal Son". To start with the easiest of the three, the prodigal son's situation is one of a familiar position. Unfortunately it isn't uncommon for someone to wonder off from the norms of a relationship. In doing so they must find their way back to the beginning norm. The use of the prodigal son is to show the process of asking for forgiveness. Richard Neuhaus, analyzer of many biblical stories, says that the first step of seeking forgiveness is to become aware of one's situation, "The beginning of wisdom is to come to our senses and know the fearful truth about ourselves, that we have wandered and wasted our days in a distant country far from home " (Neuhaus 4). Once having overcome this the next step is to seek out forgiveness and to do so with the newly found wisdom presented in a humble way knowing that nothing is certain from that point on due to putting everything in the hands of the forgiver.
