Kristi McLeland, a Bible teacher focusing on the historical and cultural context of the Bible, talks about the Hebrew tradition of putting titles to stories that differs from our western tradition. Her best known example comes from Luke 15, what we famously call “The Prodigal Son.” In a Middle Eastern context, they know this as “The Running Father.”
That simple alteration in perspective changes the point of the story. Instead of considering the prodigal son who runs away with no intent to return and the sights of his father long abandoned, we get to perceive and pay attention to the Father who is ready to meet the run away, waiting for his return with anticipation and without hesitation to receive him into His arms.
How beautiful it is to take the attention off of us, the son, and our part in the story and instead stare at the Father whose magnificence never dulls and whose character keeps revealing a depth of goodness we will never reach the end of. He is the whole point of the story. Our lives would be incredibly richer if we intentionally looked for the Creator God in each page of Scripture, each mumbled prayer, and each revelation from the Spirit.
Each day if we could practice reframing our mind to consider God as the prize of this life and the purpose for our breath, then we may find that the rest falls into place in His time. That life and its worries are nothing in comparison to the Father who is running to us with compassion and great reception. We see that the brokenness of this world and the shame we carry are no match for the Running Father.