Sheep Need A Shepherd

While on holiday in West Yorkshire, I was treated quite regularly to the sight of wandering sheep, from nearby flocks, including these two, who had wandered on to the front lawn of a neighbour! It seemed to be a not unusual phenomenon.

We all like sheep have gone astray;

Each of us has gone his own way,

And the Lord had laid on him

The iniquity of us all!

I am the good shepherd...My sheep know my voice.

These quotes from the biblical books of Isaiah and John, respectively, tell us of the bad and good tendencies of humans - rather unflatteringly likening us to sheep!

We have a tendency to "stray" from God. It is not ever, with any of us, that we merely make one or two errors in life which we quickly regret. In our ever present willingness to be legends in our own minds, we may see ourselves that way. But rather, much as we might want to be genuinely good people (and many of us do), we are all too readily ready to put self before God and others, and then soothe our selfish souls with thoughts of how bad other people are. The pattern of our lives is shaped by what we put first, and we seem quite nice to ourselves until something rocks our boats, and the darker depths of our hearts are revealed. We "stray" quite easily.

But we are also capable of "hearing" and "listening to" the voice of Jesus, the Great Shepherd of human souls, who alone knows how to provide rest for our souls. This necessary rest comes from the knowledge of being fully known and fully loved by God, who has provided everything we need for a life pervaded with joy. This rest is the precondition for people to be good. Isn't it generally accepted that someone who doesn't know what it's like to experience love has a harder time giving love? Isn't it true that those surrounded by love are better placed to contribute to the world from an inner core of quiet confidence? 

But to seek that environment of love from other humans is not wise, because other people also need this stability in order to give love. The "steadfast love and faithfulness" that we all want and need is to be found only in God. If more of us lived in the reality of that experience, we would also find a greater and greater community of helpfulness available to us.