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” and rightfully so 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… “Shepherd others
beyond their wants, beyond their fears, from death into life”, as Jesus so
often does for us.”
Enjoy the day!
Deacon Tom
Image Credit: 123rf.com 20726856.jpg
No comments:
Post a Comment