The Parable of the Prodigal Son
The Parable that the Christ told about the Prodigal Son is a mythic story of immense importance that outlines the entire process of a human being’s evolutionary journey from spirit to matter and back to spirit. There is a leaving, an adventure, and finally a return to the original departure point, making the journey cyclical. It is an example of what Joseph Campbell called the Hero’s journey - the mythic spiritual journey from darkness to the enlightened state, or from unawareness to awareness. The story is the same whether it is the Christ, the Prodigal Son, Luke Skywalker, Frodo, Harry Potter or you. Each individual life, furthermore, is a microcosm of the entire evolution of humankind.
The parable of the Prodigal Son outlines in simple form, the evolution of human consciousness and of Life in all of it’s different manifestations, states of consciousness and stages of development. While many stories and myths will give parts of the entire evolutionary path that a single life can take, this particular parable outlines the entire journey without all the details of the adventure. In it’s simplicity, the process cannot be mistaken nor can the reader be distracted by the numerous dramas and stories embedded in any individual life.