The Long Lost Son

1999-08


On 9 July 1999, the Czech Parliament passed a bill enabling Czechs living abroad to apply for dual citizenship. Assuming that the bill will pass in the Senate, Czechs who were forcibly stripped of their citizenship between 1948 and 1990, as a result of either forced or voluntary emigration, will be free to apply for the reinstatement of their citizenship. However, two serious issues remain unresolved. First of all, Czechs living abroad are still unable to apply for restitution of their property, which was stolen under Communist rule. Secondly, Czech citizens living or travelling abroad (students, businessmen, and even Czech ambassadors) are still denied the right to vote in Czech elections unless they return to vote on Czech soil. 

Nevertheless, let’s focus on the good news. Undoubtedly, the parliament’s long-awaited recognition has different meanings for different people. Some may regard it as an utterly empty act, while for others it is a deeply symbolic one and one which simultaneously strengthens their sense of patriotism while justifying their exodus. Finally, there are those for whom passage of the bill will change the course of their lives, as it will result in their return to their homeland.
However, there is a deeper significance here, one which is perhaps best illustrated by the biblical parable of the lost son. A father has two sons. The boys grow up and one day one of them abruptly asks the father for his share of the family’s possessions. He then takes them, leaves to a foreign land, and over many years, squanders them, whereupon he decides to return home. He is spotted in the distance by his father, who drops everything and runs to meet his son halfway. The other son, seeing this, is angry, and asks the father the meaning of his actions. The father replies: „You were always with me. Be glad, for this is your brother, who was lost and is now found!“ 

Many people tend to identify with the son who stayed at home, who appeared to be under-appreciated by the father. But which of us – those who stayed at home, or those who left – represent the lost son? Both. For more than fifty years, we have been lost – all of us. Now, finally, a concrete step has been taken to reunite all the lost members of our family whom we feared would be lost forever. It is a step which opens the door so that each side may at last find, and appreciate, the other a bit more. We must remember that although we continue to reside in many countries across the world, we still belong to one family.
Martin Jan Stránský 

Publikováno:

The New PresenceAugust 1999

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