Sheep have a reputation for being a little dim in intellectual capacity. (So I’m told; I've never known any.) They pretty much have one thing on their minds: grass. Give them good grass and they will eat and eat, not paying much attention to where they’re going, not noticing if they’re straying from the flock or in danger. It's not such a compliment that Jesus told stories likening people to sheep, or that he says, viewing a crowd looking for him, that they were like sheep without a shepherd:
Now many saw them going and recognized them, and they hurried there on foot from all the towns and arrived ahead of them. As he went ashore, he saw a great crowd; and he had compassion for them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd; and he began to teach them many things.
The religious leaders of Jesus’ time were supposed to be shepherds. Clearly he did not think they were doing the job, too preoccupied in proving their own righteousness. Perhaps this is why he has compassion on this crowd, allowing them to divert him from his intended retreat with the disciples. He knew that without teaching and guidance and an experience of God’s power right then and there, they would drift, hungry, prey to false teachers and poor nourishment.
In our time, fewer and fewer people seem to seek out spiritual leaders; for many, the “DIY” movement extends to the spiritual life. They may pray, connect with others, find teaching on the internet, often comfortable platitudes, but are indifferent to the accumulated wisdom of religious traditions. Like sheep focused on grazing, they may seek the next feel-good moment, the next affirmation that they really are okay, a good person, and so stray further and further away from the Source of Love and truth. They open themselves to manipulative teachers or a feed-back loop in which the truth becomes ever more distorted.
Self-sufficiency is the enemy of spiritual growth. I do not believe people can thrive spiritually if their only point of reference about spiritual experience is in their own mind, even if they are people of faith and active churchgoers. If we want to grow in faith, we need to walk with others; we need to look out for each other; we need to hold each other accountable. And we need leaders, pastors (the term borrowed from shepherding) who know the landscape and can keep their eye on the big picture while we wander and graze. And the pastors need pastors and community for the same reason.
Have you had periods of “go it alone” spirituality in your life, and periods of communal connection? How did each way feel to you?
Who are the shepherds who have helped guide you to good pasture and clean water?
For whom have you served as a shepherd or guide? I highly recommend all Christ-followers be part of some small group fellowship for mutual support and accountability.
Of course, the One Shepherd for all of us is Jesus, our “Shepherd of Souls.” We wander off the precipice when we wander away from him. But to follow him well we seem to need shepherds and other folks. I hope and pray we all have worthy shepherds in our lives, that we see more than the grass around us.
For whom have you served as a shepherd or guide? I highly recommend all Christ-followers be part of some small group fellowship for mutual support and accountability.
Of course, the One Shepherd for all of us is Jesus, our “Shepherd of Souls.” We wander off the precipice when we wander away from him. But to follow him well we seem to need shepherds and other folks. I hope and pray we all have worthy shepherds in our lives, that we see more than the grass around us.
No comments:
Post a Comment