17 June 2025

I had a dream. I suppose that’s not unusual but I don’t usually remember my dreams nor even attempt to recover them. This was a short dream or so it seemed to me.  I was busy speaking with a group of people. I looked up and was surprised to see my father.

He was standing still. He was smartly dressed in suit and tie and he was smiling gently. My immediate reaction was to run towards him. As I was running, I thought that he should have been running towards me just like the father in the Parable of the Prodigal Son. But he stood still, smiling.

Thinking about it in the morning, I realised that he would not have ran towards me. His emotions would not have led him to express himself in this way. But I also realised that he couldn’t have run even if he had wanted to because of the divide between heaven and earth. I never reached him in my dream.

I was puzzled that the dream took place within the context of the  famous parable. Was I the prodigal son running back to my father for forgiveness or reassurance or just peace.  The content of the dream didn’t fit in with this interpretation. My motivation was surprise and a desire to meet him again.

The dream had two effects upon me. Firstly, it reassured me that dad was at peace. He was just as he had always been and he was smiling. Secondly, it brought to the surface something which I hadn’t acknowledged so clearly. I missed him even after fifteen years.

I have never knowingly dreamt about my dad. This was unusual. But the brief dream which was so full of emotion – surprise, longing and contentment brought much comfort. And then I realised that it was a gift -perhaps from God? We had just celebrated  Father’s Day!

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