Ibn al-Salibi observes: Why did he [the prodigal] not say to his father, “Fashion out of me one of your paid craftsmen” when he had planned to say it? The answer is that his father’s love outstripped him and forgiveness was everflowing toward him.21 These two influential Middle Eastern commentators make clear that the prodigal neither forgot to finish his speech nor was he interrupted; rather, his world was transformed by his father’s costly demonstration of love. The shepherd goes forth to find