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Deacon Tom writes ©
Shepherd Me, O God
One of the songs in the Hymnal is based on the 23rd
Psalm and carries the refrain, “Shepherd
me, O God, beyond my wants, beyond my fears, from death into life”. This beautiful melody helps us draw
upon the rich imagery of a “good” shepherd, one who keeps the flock safe
and secure, even when dangers abound.
The idea of a good shepherd,
unfortunately, seems to have folded into the pages of history as our society
has progressed from its early ranching days into the age of high-tech. Yet, it seems from some recent events
that we still long to have good shepherds in our midst, watching over us,
shepherds who put the needs and cares of others before their own.
Several memorable examples come to mind. The first is that of Estella Pyfrom, a guidance counselor in
Palm Beach County, Florida. She
was aware that many students did not have access to a computer after school.
Coming from poorer families, she recognized that this was a serious problem.
Her solution: she took her life savings and bought a bus, filled it with
computers, and brought technology to the kids. Her mobile computer lab called “Estella's Brilliant Bus”
has provided free, computer-based tutoring for thousands of students since
2011. To the many students who
have received essential computer skills that promise to enhance the quality of
their lives, Estella Pyfrom is truly a “good shepherd”.
Then there is Danielle Gletow who notices that Foster children go
without so many ordinary things that children who grow up in biological
families often take for granted.
Her solution: she has created an online site where the wishes of Foster
children are posted so the public can help grant them. "I'm here to be the
mom to all these kids who might not feel like they have one," she said.
Since 2008, her group has helped grant more than 6,500 wishes in 42 states.
These ongoing acts of kindness give us the
extraordinary witness of two individuals who went to incredible lengths to
improve the lives of others in need. You can call them “good shepherds” because
their primary concern was the well-being of others, the strangers in our midst.
Christ remains for us, of course, the eternal “Good Shepherd”, the one who laid down
his life for us. The Lord told us
three things about the true shepherd:
he gives his own life for his sheep; he knows them and they know him; he
keeps the flock together.
While Jesus is the true shepherd calling us to the one fold, those who follow him can
easily recognize that there are times when we are called to shepherd
others. These recent experiences
of Estella Pyfrom and Danielle Gletow are extreme cases for sure. But, in the ordinary course of our day,
we too have many opportunities to be shepherds to those around us. We share in the ministry of Christ, the
Good Shepherd, when we share Christ with others by reaching out to those who
are lonely or sick; when we welcome the stranger or feed the hungry; when we forgive those who have hurt us; when we
work to break down the barriers that divide us so that we may become one in
Christ. We participate most in
being good shepherds when we… “deliver
others beyond their wants, beyond their fears, from death into life”, as
Jesus so often does for us.
Enjoy the day!
Deacon Tom
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