The day's first reading has Absolem being killed by Joab. But when the news reaches David, who is himself in hiding from Absolem, for fear of his life, he is distressed. In fact, the first question David asks the messenger, "How is young Absolem?" Such is parental love.
Even when the child is engaged in evil deeds, the parent is always concerned for the well being of the child. Even if that evil deed is the murder of one's own parents! The classical parable of the soldier who is told by the emperor to prove his loyalty to him, by decapitating his own mother tells us of the same value. On returning to the emperor with the decapitated head of his mother, the soldier stumbles and the mother's head, asks with great concern, "Are you hurt, my son?"
As religious we may really never reach that level of concern and love for our children or young people - at least not all the time! But unless we love them, we will never really want their good. We may be serving our own egos but not their well being.
Even when the child is engaged in evil deeds, the parent is always concerned for the well being of the child. Even if that evil deed is the murder of one's own parents! The classical parable of the soldier who is told by the emperor to prove his loyalty to him, by decapitating his own mother tells us of the same value. On returning to the emperor with the decapitated head of his mother, the soldier stumbles and the mother's head, asks with great concern, "Are you hurt, my son?"
As religious we may really never reach that level of concern and love for our children or young people - at least not all the time! But unless we love them, we will never really want their good. We may be serving our own egos but not their well being.
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