In a hope and spirituality group facilitated at the psychiatric hospital where I work, we discussed the parable of the prodigal son as found in Luke 15:11-32. Briefly, this is a tale of forgiveness and reconciliation. The main characters are a father and his two sons. The younger plays the role of the wayward son, the elder the righteous son, and the father an unconditionally loving presence. Upon reading the story in the context of the group, one woman tearfully relayed that she had been estranged from her family for a number of years, in large part due to her mental illness. The story, she explained, gave her hope for reconciliation, hope for the future. Her estrangement may not be the endpoint of the story, just as the son's wayward behavior was not the ending in Luke 15.
I also used this story as a sermon topic in the context of a religious service. After discussing each character, I asked which one people most identified with: the elder son, the younger son, or the father. Someone present identified with each character. One woman could relate to the younger son because she felt she had done wrong in the eyes of her family; another identified with the father because she was very forgiving of family members; a third could relate to the elder son's tendency to be judgmental. As each character was discussed in more depth, it became apparent that all had strengths and weaknesses. The younger son, in fact, demonstrated a great deal of courage, because he was able to admit his mistakes and approach his father for forgiveness. The majority of individuals diagnosed with mental illnesses desire forgiveness for past wrongs, and this story offers hope that this might be possible.
In terms of the types of hope discussed, the wayward son in the parable evidenced hope as will, way, wish, horizon, and action. He had the will to survive or he would not have attempted to satisfy his hunger, which led to returning to his father and home. He demonstrated trust in his father - hope as way. Hope as wish is seen in his desire to reconcile with his father. Hope as horizon is illustrated in the son's ability to see beyond his present circumstances - that even life as a hired hand in his father's household was better than starving in a distant country. And hope as action is demonstrated in his return and begging his father for forgiveness.
