Sunday, March 30, 2025 Dare to dance! Leave embarrassment at home. 

Our friend Jim Fredericks writes this homily for young people in middle school and high school – (and I find it equally compelling for our Emmaus Community). What I want to say to you is this: 

Dare to dance! Leave embarrassment at home.

This is the advice Mary Pukui used to give to her students in Hawaii. She was an elder among the Hawaiian people and revered as a teacher.  I agree: Dare to dance! Leave embarrassment at home.  This is a good message for young people. You are not little kids any longer and, I assure you, you are not yet adults either. 

But the time has come to dance leave embarrassment at home. This is what Jesus is teaching us in the parable of the prodigal son. A man had two sons. Most people think the story is about the younger son. I think the story is really about the older son. The younger son is a screw-up. He demands his inheritance up front from his father. Then he goes off to a foreign country where he shoots through his dad’s money on stupid things. 

Once he’s broke, the younger brother comes to his senses and tells himself: I shall get up and go to my father and I shall say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I no longer deserve to be called your son; treat me as you would treat one of your hired workers.” I don’t think the younger brother is being sincere. I can’t prove this, but I think he is trying to trick his father. And it works. The dad sees his younger son at a great distance and runs to him. The younger son goes through his spiel with his father and his father buys it. 

Quickly bring the finest robe and put it on him; put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Take the fattened calf and slaughter it. Then let us celebrate with a feast, because this son of mine was dead, and has come to life again; he was lost, and has been found. 

But let me say again: this story is not about the younger brother. It is about the older brother. What happens next is crucial. The fatted calf is on the bar-b-que and the celebration has begun. Then, the older brother asks what’s up and a servant tells him. Your brother has returned and your father has slaughtered the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound. 

The older brother gets angry. He’s angry for a good reason. What his dad is doing isn’t fair. What’s happening is obviously not fair. The older brother says to his father: Look, all these years I served you and not once did I disobey your orders; yet you never gave me even a young goat to feast on with my friends. But when your son returns, who swallowed up your property with prostitutes, for him you slaughter the fattened calf. 

The older brother is angry because his father isn’t being fair with him. This is the whole point of Jesus’s story: life isn’t fair. In fact, life is crammed with unfairness. At times, life is outrageous. This is a bitter pill to swallow. When we are little kids, we get over it quickly. When we are old, we have become resigned to the unfairness of life. But when you are in middle school or high school, the unfairness of life is really difficult.

I am sorry that I have to say this to you. But it must be said. Life isn’t fair and it isn’t fair by a long shot. I don’t think Jesus is trying to rub it in about the unfairness of the life. I think he is trying to tell us something about God’s love. 

God loves us all unconditionally. God loves us whether we deserve to be loved or not. He loves us when we are responsible and faithful to him and he loves us when we are jerks. And this isn’t at all fair. But love isn’t about being fair. Love is about seeing your irresponsible son at a great distance and running to him with nothing but joy in your heart. 

Young people: the time will come when you will learn how to do this and, then, your son will accuse you of being unfair. Life isn’t fair and I recognize that this is so very hard to take when you are in middle school or high school. This is why I am telling you about Mary Pukui. 

Dare to dance! Leave embarrassment at home. Perhaps she could have said, Dare to dance! Leave your bitterness at home. At the end of Jesus’ story, the father pleads with his elder son who is bitter over the unfairness of life. Come to the party. And the older son hesitates. Come to the party. Dare to dance. Leave your bitterness outside in the cold and the dark. Life has always been unfair and maybe it will always be unfair. 

Dare to dance! Leave embarrassment at home.