Now, we don't have to be martyrs to lay down our life. Life can be giving up things we may selfishly desire or have that keeps the sheep in danger.
If the shepherd leaves the sheep in the field because there is a party or maybe he/she is tired and decides to take a nap when the sheep are vulnerable the shepherd is failing the sheep.
There is a very real responsibility to our call to be the shepherd. There also is a responsibility to transform the sheep the shepherd.
This parable is only a way to glimpse into the world of Jesus at the time it was written. We are called to be the shepherd to those who need help and part of the call is teaching the sheep to be shepherd, free and independent from the shepherd that they may lead, too.
We cannot be caught up in the restricted, narrow minded, and literal words of the parable. We need to look past that and really see that this shepherd is accessible and loving, so much so that the desire is that sheep grow and become the shepherd with their own flock to shepherd.
Let's bring that to our life. Simply, it's being a parent, sibling, friend or stranger. The actions and words that we perform each day is the shepherding and the listening and attentiveness to those around us is growth of the sheep.
We are not called to be dependent, indecisive, or fearful people. We, free from ego, will naturally grow together because that Divine Light shines in each of us. There is no fear of evil when we remove the ego, the freedom of Love will conquer it.
Perfect Love casts all evil, remember that! Perfect Love is that Divine Light that shines in us and the great thing is as you an I breathe each breath, we are breathing the life of God.
We got away from that as a church. We took Jesus out of the field and placed Him on a throne way out of reach. Our church architecture, also, showed it to us and that was a powerful illustration for the people that still keeps us captive.
Be free and know that the Spirit of the living God is in each of us and no matter the prejudices passed on from the "little sheep" generations, we are called to a greater understanding that we, too, may become shepherds.
My prayer: "May I always see Christ in others and may those I meet always see Christ in me."
