ACC National Conference 2026
Homecoming, as told in the story of the lost son, is less about geography than identity – a return to a place where we essentially belong. When he turns homeward, the son does not plan to arrive with conditions, or prepared defences, rather he comes as is and has been, with honesty, regrets and a simple longing to be back – irrespective of where he will now fit into his father’s household. That he is met by the father with compassion, joy and a desire to celebrate, rather than with the expected condemnation and marginalisation, is the startling aspect of this story, told as an exemplar of the nature of God’s relationship with us.