To Fyodor Dostoevsky, the parable of the prodigal son was a lifeline. Though an outcast in a Siberian prison, he found himself within this radical story of homecoming and a father's heart. C.S. Lewis similarly alluded to finding himself within the parable: "Who can duly adore that Love which will open the high gates to a prodigal who is brought in kicking, struggling, resentful, and darting his eyes in every direction for a chance to escape?" It is a parable that unveils each of us in some way, whether we find ourselves as the prodigal asking for mercy or the jealous older brother looking for credit. In any case, it is the image of the father that convinces us to remove the veil. He is both the subject and the point of the story...
August, 1846 German composer Felix Mendelssohn's "Elijah" premiered at the Birmingham Festival, England. One of the most dramatic oratorios ever written, "Elijah" narrates the events in the life of the biblical character Elijah.