| Readings for April 29, 2012
I AM THE GOOD SHEPHERD
The center of today's Gospel is the Good Shepherd. As someone who has lived her life in the Chicago land area, I know little about sheep and shepherding. When I was in Ireland I saw an amazing demonstration by a border collie that herded the sheep at the behest of the farmer who used a series of whistles to direct the dog. The sheep would be herded from one section of the meadow to another in what seemed an effortless fashion. However, I've heard that sheep are not too bright and are not easily directed.
Being raised to celebrate my autonomy; seeing myself as a member of a flock of sheep does not seem to be a useful image. However, as I focus on the role of the shepherd, things become clearer. In the time of Christ, the shepherd was with the sheep twenty four hours a day, every day, no matter what the weather. The shepherd was there to protect the sheep and ward off animals that would prey on the sheep. Yet the shepherd was not there to be the hero, only to do what was needed.
In many ways, that is how God is. God is with us 24/7 in good times and bad. God doesn't grandstand yet cares for us. As the shepherd cannot prevent every tragic event from injuring one of his flock, neither does God. We do suffer; there is tragedy; however we are not abandoned by God as the sheep were not abandoned by the shepherd. The shepherd is willing to risk his life for his sheep something a hired sheep tender is not prepared to do. The Gospel raises the question of whether we are the shepherd or a hired hand. How much are we willing to do for the sheep we oversee? The sheep can be children, family, friends, work, ideas, etc.
The reading from the Acts of the Apostles speaks of the stone that was rejected. How easy it is to see the many times in my life that I felt rejected. Yet that is not the whole statement as the rejected stone becomes the cornerstone of the building. We may feel rejected yet we are called to leave the rejection behind and make something of ourselves that will last. This is quite a challenge. Not just to do something, but to do something so well it holds up a building.
How is it we are to be a good shepherd and a cornerstone? Yes, both are images that may not seem to connect with our life today, yet it is the reading from 1 John that tells us how we can do this. We have our advocate with the Father in Jesus Christ. Christ gives us the strength and courage to move from the autonomy to community; from community to leadership; and from leadership back to Christ.
As Christians, this is what we are called to do and with God's unconditional Love, we can do it.
Prayer-From John L. Bell of the Iona Community
Take, O take me as I am; summon out what I shall be; set your seal upon my heart and live in me.
Anne Murphy is a certified chaplain with more than 30 years of ministry in a variety of healthcare settings. She has been a member of Ascension parish on three separate occasions, the most recent since 1999. She, her children and her grand children were baptized at Ascension.
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