Live.Awake

Embracing the Pig Sty

// April 3rd, 2007 // Christian Living

We all know the story. The Prodigal Son gets full of himself. He cashes in his inheritance and leaves home to do his own thing. He soon blows the inheritance on hard living and eventually finds himself wallowing in a pig sty eating with the pigs. It is at this lowest of low points that the Prodigal Son repents and returns home to the open arms of his father. We should remember that this is a story told by a Jew to other Jews. Jews HATED pigs. They were “unclean” animals. There would have been few things a typical Jew would have found more disgusting (or humiliating) than eating pig food with other pigs. When Jesus told this parable, He chose this specific imagry because it painted a clear picture of the negative consequences of rebellion and pride.

Whenever I read this story (Luke 15:11-32), it immediately reminds me of a story from my year-long adventure as a drug rehab counselor in Britain. Never have I seen this parable of repentance played out in real-life drama like I did then.

There were several guys I met in my time there that had the same story, but the one that sticks out the most in my memory was a fellow named Geoffrey. Geoff was an older man who had been an alcoholic for as a long as he could remember. He had never really managed to hold on to a job or keep a family. His alcohol addiction was his first love. He spent most of his time wandering the streets living on the welfare system. He finally got desperate enough to come to us.

I helped check him in and get him to his bunk. We picked through all of his belongings removing anything that would be a problem for him during his time with us (whether an addiction temptation or merely a distraction to his reason for being there). Then I showed him to his bunk and introduced him to a few people.

Immediately the complaining began. He didn’t like his bunk area. He didn’t like how many people were in the room and the lack of privacy. He didn’t like that I followed him everywhere. He didn’t like the food we ate. He didn’t like the tea we drank. He didn’t like much of anything.

It was like this on into the next day. Then during dinner, he complained about the food again. One of the experienced leaders, Victor, stood from his seat, walked around the table to where Geoff was sitting and said, “Get up and get out.” There was no anger in his voice, no shouting, not even and angry look. Just simply, “Get up and get out.” Geoff looked at him like he was crazy. He began back-pedalling and apologizing.

I’m sorry, Geoff. You simply aren’t ready for this. It’s time for you to leave.

Geoff finally stood and began to walk out angrily. I was offended. It was now dark outside and raining. This man was easily iover 65 and those were 65 years of HARD living. I couldn’t believe Victor didn’t have more patience. More mercy and compassion. Victor looked at me and told me to help him gather his things and to not let him linger.

I helped Geoff get his few belongings together and walked him to the front door where Victor was waiting. Victor held the door open for Geoff and said,

When you hate the cold rain more than you love drinking, give us a call.

With that, Geoff stepped into the rain and the dark. I was really mad. I guess Victor could tell and he pulled me aside.

He told me that until someone is really broken and desprate to change. Until someone is willing to do anything to change, they simply won’t. For us to keep Geoff there, would be to shelter him from the breaking influences in his life.

You see, the pig sty was the thing that God used to bring the Prodigal to a broken state. It was only then that the Prodigal was able to clearly see his situation and repent. The same was true for Geoff. He came to us wanting to escape the pig sty, not get his life straight.

Several months later I got a phone call in the office. It was Geoff. He had been disqualified for welfare, and had been living on the street for months. He didn’t even have enough money for booze. He sobbed on the phone asking me to please come get him. We made him find his own way to us and I met him in the parking lot. When I saw him, I was amazed. He must have been 50lbs thinner. His eyes were sunken and dark and he smelled like the street. He was the picture of brokeness.

This time he stayed. He was still cranky, but he was broken. This time he was pliable and teachable. When I left there to return home several months later he was doing well. His addiction was broken and he was slowly rebuilding the life that he had destroyed.

I saw this same pattern over and over again. It was the defining difference between those who succeeded in shaking their addictions and those who remained addicts. I think the same is true for all of us. Those who grow in their faith and fulfill their God-given destiny in life are those that do not hide from the pig sty or even try to escape it. They simple learn all that they can from it because they know where home is and how forgiving their Father will be.

[tags]prodigal, son, repentance, apostate, Bible, parable, Jesus, forgiveness, grace, mercy, addiction[/tags]