Micah 7:14-15, 18-20 / Luke 15:1-3, 11-32
If someone were to ask us what is so unique or special about the God that we believe in, these two words must immediately come forth from our mouths: love and forgiveness.
Love and forgiveness are like the two sides of a coin - forgiveness is the expression of love and to love is to forgive.
In the Old Testament deities were often viewed as gods who inflict judgement and punishment whenever the people were unfaithful and do not offer them adequate sacrifice.
Yet the God of Israel was totally different and unlike any of the god that the other nations worshipped.
As the 1st reading would say: What god can compare with you: taking fault away, pardoning crime, not cherishing anger for ever but delighting in showing mercy?
Indeed, to understand how much God loves us, we have to ask ourselves how much we have sinned against God.
The gospel parable gives us an image of God in the father who forgives his prodigal son and tried to persuade his elder son to forgive also.
Yes, the uniqueness of our God is that He loves unconditionally and He also forgives unconditionally.
If that is the God we believe in, then what we believe is also what we must become.
May others also see in us the love and forgiveness of God.