We had a wonderful holiday in northern Scotland and the Orkney Islands. We visited Saint Magnus Church where I said a prayer for Saint Matthew's and lit a candle. We saw Skara Brae, the oldest human habitation found on our planet at 5000 years old, and Maeshowe, a prehistoric rock funerary monument and religious site. Also we saw henges and eight castles.
One of the castles was Kilchurn on the shore of Loch Awe, a beautiful place. As we approached, I held back to take some photographs. When I went on to the castle, I was met by a large sheep who bounded round the corner. We seemed instant friends, as he nuzzled me and enjoyed being petted. I had a conversation with him, then went on to the castle entrance, where he and two of his buds tried unsuccessfully so sneak through the gate behind me. I have seen sheep at state fairs, and at a distance all over Scotland, but never until that day had I been up close and personal with one of these lovely, gentle creatures. It was a great experience and gave me a new appreciation for comments attributed to Jesus about shepherds and sheepfolds.
In today's gospel [John 10: 22-30] Jesus is described as ho poeimen ho kalos. Traditionally that is rendered the Good Shepherd, sometimes the Ideal Shepherd, but I recently read a suggestion by a Greek scholar that a better translation yet is Beautiful Shepherd. In the sense that we speak of a person's being beautiful not only outwardly but inwardly. That kind of beauty evokes love and an unconditional trust. We are safe knowing the Beautiful Shepherd is on watch.
Jesus warns against the wolf, who will fool and scatter the sheep in order to find a victim to kill and eat. There are many wolves today who like to prey on the Episcopal flock, trying to tell us that we can't be for women or for refugees, that we must not embrace racial and sexual minorities. These wolves counsel judgement where Jesus counsels love and acceptance. Yet we do not need to fear wolves, because the Beautiful Shepherd is on watch, protecting those who are faithful to his vision.
He also brings eternal life. That is not about getting your ticket punched for pie-in-the-sky when you die. It is a present gift of an abundant new life and love. Jesus contravened Jewish expectations of messiahship and Roman political and religious values. Today, in his name, we contravene much of what passes for religion-as-usual in America and the imperial values of our own day. We do so in faithful response to the Beautiful Shepherd who calls us to be a beautiful people, inside and out.
Who have been the most important shepherds in your life? I bet one of them would be your mom. Today we call forward the mothers in our congregation for the Mother's Day Blessing.
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