The Lectionary Reading for this Sunday (May 3) is the 23rd Psalm.
The psalm of David may be the most popular piece of scripture and it is certainly the most popular psalm. It is a reading that brings people great comfort. It has been read in worship services, funerals and very often at the bedside of the sick.
The following is a poem or reading that can be used as a guided meditation or simply as a supplement to the 23rd Psalm. But I think it is particularly important with the state of world…
Perhaps today you feel like you are in some kind of valley.
You look up and you see the wolves circling around ready to pounce.
They are waiting. They watch the flock.
They see the shepherd with the weird stick.
They fear the shepherd, but it looks like he may be sleeping.
The sheep are huddled together, that is until one slips away from the flock.
That is you! You try to go it alone.
The shepherd seems to be sleeping and the other sheep either admire your bravery or shudder at your carelessness.
The wolves in the darkness take notice.
They hide in the shadows.
They see one of the sheep making its way—separating itself.
It’s not heading for the wolves, but wolves seem to be heading its way.
The shepherd still, is quiet, and doesn’t move.
The others begin to get nervous. This isn’t right, but you trudge on.
And then just before the wolves pounce, the Good Shepherd is right there!
The Good Shepherd calls you back. Sure, he hooks you in, but he uses the other end of that weird stick to fend off the wolves.
You are safe. You are always safe.
I wrote that little piece many years ago, and I didn’t write it with the idea of a pandemic in mind. Also, I don’t mean to imply that we are just sheep following the herd mentality. Certainly, that can be drawn from this metaphor. But the imagery of the 23rd Psalm is 3000 years old now.
Problems with the metaphor are clear…
Do we want to be a part of the flock?
Don’t we want to strike out on our own and express our individuality?
We don’t want to be driven by the shepherd.
We don’t want to live in fear of the wolves and predators.
Why is the shepherd caring for us in the first place? Isn’t it for their economic survival?
The 23rd Psalm ignores those points. But the greater point is that the sheep are in absolute trust of the Shepherd, and even when things seem to be terrible, the Good Shepherd will be there to protect us. Our trust in the goodness of the shepherd should be absolute- because of what the shepherd has already done to earn our trust.
In these trying times we have come to view the wolves with greater fear. You may have a different perception of who the wolves are today. They are fierce, but we are many- and there is strength in numbers- and there is no greater strength and comfort than being a member of the flock of the Good Shepherd.
