Thank you to Rev. James Wetzstein for permission to use his wonderful comic. More can be found at http://www.Agnusday.org
I don’t really like to think of myself as a sheep because they are somewhat stupid animals and I have prided myself on being a good student during my academic career. But the truth is that I can also be dumb, either because I have no experience or knowledge of a subject or because I simply have not grasped what something means, perhaps we all can. We can know facts without knowing what it really means. And, I’ve been a sheep in other ways. I’ve been known to follow fashion trends and buy things that I don’t really need but I want because it’s all the rage. I can be a sheep. However, being a sheep does not have to be bad if we continue to learn from Jesus and follow the right shepherd.
In today’s world, it is the same as it always has been. We can choose who to listen to, who to follow. We can choose on what to spend our time, our money, and our energy. And, how we choose do this shows our priorities in life. It shows which shepherd we follow. Our actions reveal who we are.
Are we kind, generous, respectful, even when we disagree? Do we help those in need? Do we really want to know more about Jesus and more than that, to follow what he says is important.
Love God. Love others. Serve the world.
May we be the kind of sheep who are kind.
This reminds me of “faith without works is dead.” Our works show our faith, what we follow, who we allow to shepherd us.
Thank you, Melanie. We are fortunate to have free will and the ability to follow who we choose.
Sonja, Years ago, one of my favorite younger priests gave a wonderful homily in which he called himself the “sheep dog” and,of course, Jesus was the shepherd.
Billie, I love this image. I’ve also heard pastors refer to themselves as ‘Under-shepherds’ of the Good Shepherd.