The Prodigal God: Redefining Hope

In the sixth chapter, Redefining Hope, Tim Keller observes, “Home, then, is a powerful but elusive concept. The strong feelings that surround it reveal some deep longing within us for a place that absolutely fits and suits us, where we can be, or perhaps find, our true selves. Yet it seems that no real place or actual family ever satisfies these yearnings, though many situations arouse them.” These feelings, the author says, point to that homecoming that awaits each Christian in the resurrection, when our exile in this present world comes to an end in the arms of a welcoming Father. We will find ourselves at a banquet of sights, sounds and pleasures, far more real than anything we experience in this life.

1. Tim Keller owes a lot to C.S. Lewis in this chapter. Do you identify with the homesickness described by Lewis, Steinbeck, John Knowles and the author?
2. The author points out that we are all exiles; the reason behind our homesickness. If our exile causes such pain and feelings of lostness, why do you think being “on the road” or “in the wind” is portrayed so romantically or ideally in books, films and the culture?
3. In the parable, there is a feast at the return of the younger brother and we are promised a place at the “marriage supper of the Lamb” in the Book of Revelation. Can you think of other feasts or meals in the Bible that relate to this theme of homecoming celebration?
4. The chapter ends with this statement: “Jesus, unlike the founder of any other major faith, holds out hope for ordinary human life.” Would you agree with that notion and why would someone hope for an ordinary life? How does that relate to our feeling of “exile” or homesickness?