Pain, trouble, heartache and brokenness... alienation, loneliness, and loss. These things are a part of every life. Nobody likes them. In fact, it's natural to want to run from them. Many people spend their entire lives doing all that they can to stay as far away from these things as possible. Jesus, on the other hand, spent his earthly ministry with people experiencing these things to offer them hope, love, acceptance, and grace. And in the Gospel of Luke he tells the story of a father running to embrace and kiss his estranged son when he sees him on the horizon. Jesus doesn't just welcome the hurting, he seeks them out, searches for them, and runs to them with love. God's love and grace as experienced through Jesus is tireless, tenacious, and persistent. Jesus doesn't just welcome us, he runs to us. Having experienced the love of God through Jesus when we felt we least deserved it, we might look with new eyes towards the hurting and needy around us and ask, "To whom are we running?" Worship link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QQXJ2c4NXAI