Coming back in

I watched Higher Ground with some friends the other day. It's about a woman whose faith gradually gets constricted by the restrictive, fearful religion she is a part of. I do recommend it.
Someone in our group said she thought that if the church had been more open-minded, perhaps the woman would not have left. I said that I thought it wouldn't have mattered, that you have to go out to come back in. If we come back things are different, we are different, but there is a sense of return. There's a lovely scene in the movie where the woman comes back in to faith and seems at peace, although (or perhaps because) she doesn't come back in to the church. I'd describe it but it would be a spoiler.
Tomorrow we're reading the story of the prodigal son at church. He has to go out to come back in. The father allows him to leave and runs to accept him back when he decides to return, to come back in. Then again, the father also accepts the elder brother who never leaves, so perhaps it's only some of us that have to go out to come back in. I couldn't say. I think if more people knew they would have arms thrown around them for coming back, they might dare to try it.