Sheep and Children

Last evening a spinster member of our weekly Lectio Divina and Christian Meditation prayer group shared that she could not think of anyone she would lay down her life for. This was in response to this week’s Bible passage John 10: 11 ‘The good shepherd lays down his life for his sheep’. It got me to thinking of Jesus and our urban shepherds.

In her sharing, my friend shared that not having a spouse and children, deprived her of sheep to lay down her life for. Jesus did not have a spouse nor biological children. This thought led me to thinking of the phrase ‘children of God’ and the opening words of the Lord’s prayer ‘Our Father…’. We often say those words mechanically without thinking of their significance.

I became aware that ‘God The Father’ does consider us His children. And He came, through His Son, to lay down His life. I went back to the bible passage to examine it more carefully. ‘I know my own and my own knows me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father.’ Thanks to my friend I began to see the Bible passage as one of parentage. We are children of God!

Would our urban shepherds truly lay down their life for their sheep? Can one’s sheep be so loved as to think of them as children? Our priests do not marry, nor have children. As least they are not supposed to be, nor to have. Can they love their parishioners as their children? These are difficult questions.

But Jesus did. He did lay down His life for His and The Father’s sheep. We are considered as children of God. What an uplifting and liberating thought - To be loved as His Children by God.

WONDERFUL NEW INITIATIVE

Starting this weekend and continuing on weekends a Travelogue to churches. Every weekend I hope to present a story with pictures and hopefully video clips on a visit to a church.