Prodigal Father

Even if you are not a church going Christian, you may be familiar with the story of the prodigal son. If not let me recap it for you. There is a rich man who has two sons. One of them tells dad that he is ready to go off on his own and instead of waiting for his father to die to receive his inheritance that he would like to enjoy it right now. The father grants his son’s request. The son quickly takes the money, moves to another town and lives a life of revelry. He forgets his father and brother back home as he is too busy partying and having sex with numerous women. The son ends up squandering his wealth while his new found friends end up leaving him. Without a penny in his pocket this wayward son ends up tending to pigs. A moment of clarity hits him when he notices that he is drooling over the slop the pigs are eating. He decides to return back home. Cautiously he approaches his old home when his father, comes running out to greet his son. Weeping tears of happiness, the father welcomes his son with open arms. He then tells his servants to prepare a celebration. Meanwhile the other son who had stayed hears of his brother’s return and refuses to participate in the activities. That is the story in a nut shell.
It is a great story used to illustrate the love of God for his earthly sons. Listeners are supposed to resonate not with the father but with the son as we gain the understanding of mercy, forgiveness, and grace.
But what if the son never had such a forgiving father? What if his father was an alcoholic or sex addict or a child molester? What if the father in the story was the one who walked out on the son? What would the story be then? What lessons would be demonstrated in the story of a wayward father?