Do You Know the Shepherd?
I took some theology courses at Fordham University in the Bronx. Several times a year, the college would invite some well-known theologian or Christian writer to speak as part of a Symposium. Unfortunately, for the life of me, I cannot remember the name of the gentleman who came to talk about the theology of the Good Shepherd.
He was very learned and spoke about symbolism and the tradition of being a shepherd at the time of Jesus. I remember being interested in what he presented. As he finished his presentation, he asked if someone would like to come up and read the 23rd Psalm as the closing prayer.
An elderly Franciscan brother, in his habit, came forward carrying his battered bible and offered to read the Psalm. I remember there was a bit of rumbling in the room as people were beginning to get their things together to leave.
The Brother read, or perhaps more accurately, prayed the Psalm with a deep sense of love and wonder. We just knew that he had prayed that psalm many times.
In a simple, straightforward, well-aged voice, the brother began to read, “The Lord is my Shepherd I shall not want. He leads me in green pastures where he gives me rest….” Absolute stillness fell over the auditorium. His slow and prayerful reading was captivating. When he finished reading, an awe-filled silence descended on the room. It seemed people had even stopped breathing for fear of disturbing the holiness of the moment.
The guest speaker returned to the podium and, with complete humility, said, “I know everything there is to know about the theology of the Good Shepherd, but Brother knows the Shepherd.”
We are called to know the Shepherd. We need to know Him so well that those who hear us are in awe and silence when we speak of Him. We need to know Him so well that when we talk of Him, we will ourselves be brought to a humble, holy silence in His presence.
In the Gospel, Jesus says not only am I the Shepherd, but I am the sheep gate. Before beginning to pray with this reading, I envisioned an enclosed pen with sheep in it.
It came as an aha moment when I realized, in Jesus’ time, there were no sheep pens. The Shepherd had the sheep out on the hills grazing, and when night came, he would gather them and often simply place a circle of stones around them. The sheep would sleep inside the stone circle. Sheep are defenseless creatures. They do not have claws or loud howls. Sheep can’t run fast or fly away when danger comes. The entrance to the circle is the gate. The gate would be a wide open space in the circle of stones. So the Shepherd would lay his body across the opening to protect his sheep. What an image!
Jesus was saying that not only was He the Shepherd but that He would lay His own body down to protect His sheep. Those who belong to the Shepherd recognize His voice, and they follow. And when there is a chance of danger, Jesus, our Shepherd, lays His body down to protect us from evil.
That is our Shepherd. It is His voice that stirs our hearts. It is His call that we follow. In the noise of our lives and all that competes for our attention, the Shepherd is continually calling our name. We need only be attentive and follow. He will lead us to safety. He will protect us and bring us home. He lays down His life to guard and protect us.
The Lord is my Shepherd…there is nothing more I need to know.
In God’s Unending Love,
Gwen
