Who is the Father? Who is Jesus Christ? Who is the Holy Spirit? These questions, and how we answer them, are synonymous with this thing we call Orthodoxy or the “Orthodox Faith.” That’s it. Period. It really is that simple.

When I came home from running errands today (still frantically packing and getting ready for our big move), I found out that our daughter (now six months old) had a cut on one of her fingers from getting her fingernails clipped. When I examined it and held her hand in mine, she gave me a look — eye to eye — that I’ve never seen her give me before. It was a look of fear, sadness, and worry. It was as if she were communicating to me through her facial expression: “Father, I’m hurt. Please help me.”  When I saw her face, I realized that I had never seen her hurt in this way before, really, and I felt something that I can honestly say I’ve never felt in my entire life up until that moment. The overwhelming compassion and hurt I felt inside was almost foreign, and I could feel my own countenance change in that single moment.

Thankfully, of course, she’ll be fine. It’s just a tiny scratch, all things considered.

However, as I reflected on this experience, it made me consider what our relationship with God the Father is like. This is love. This is what it means when we hear St John the Theologian tell us “God is love.” This is how compassionate of a God we worship in Spirit and Truth in the Orthodox Church.

I imagine this is analogous to how God “feels” when we cry out to Him in the heavens, and call upon His name for help, Comfort, guidance, and direction. Whenever we suffer as Christians, we say the “Jesus prayer” (O Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me a sinner) or the “Lord’s Prayer,” or chant some Psalms, or perhaps light some candles before an Icon or ask our Lady Theotokos to intercede to Her Son on our behalf, and we receive comfort from these things, knowing that our Loving Father cares for us, and that in His very Being, He is Love.

God is Love. What an amazing comfort that is! How wonderful to know that our Father is compassionate and merciful towards us, in the same manner as the Father in the Parable of the Prodigal Son.

Whenever I would hear this parable taught growing up, the focus is usually placed on the son: He’s a sinner; Look at all the mistakes he made; Look how foolish he was; Don’t be like him!

However, I think Jesus’ point in teaching us this parable was not to be more eager to cast the first stone or strike fear into us as sinners, but to emphasize how loving and forgiving our Father in the heavens is — Our God Who is Love. It should really be called the Parable of the Loving Father, because that’s the point; that’s the emphasis. When we go astray, or when we get into trouble, or when we’re hurt, our Loving Father is there to welcome us home with open arms and comfort us with His eternal and inexhaustible mercy and love. He doesn’t stare us down with scolding eyes or tell us we need to meet some sort of criteria in order for Him to love us again — He simply forgives us, loves us, and opens His arms to embrace us as lost children.

And so, once again, my daughter teaches me about the Gospel more than any book, lecture, catechism or sermon ever could. Lord, have mercy.