Easter 4: Are We Living Death or Living Life?

 

Traditionally the Fourth Sunday of Easter is known as Good Shepherd Sunday. Reflecting on the image of the Good Shepherd and the sheepfold we are to consider Easter resurrection by taking a serious look at how we choose to live as individuals and as community: Are we living death or living life?

In the Kid’s Corner, I mentioned the gems that I have found between the pages of books, particularly old books; bookmarks, notes, prayer cards, newspaper clippings. Amongst some old books of my dads I found a little booklet published a 120 years ago, called: ‘The Song of the Syrian Guest.’

The author, William Allen Knight, tells a story of his family in America, receiving a Syrian guest into their home for dinner and conversation. The guest told many stories from Syria including the words of a favourite song – which we know as Psalm 23- along with an explanation of each line from the heart of a Syrian shepherd.  

Two sections particularly spoke to me as Good News, as words of resurrection, amidst new restrictions and growing cases of COVID.  I invite you to pull up a chair and listen to two phrases from Psalm 23 as told by a Syrian guest.

 

-for thou art with me –

“To show how much the presence of the shepherd counts for the welfare of the sheep I can think of nothing better than the strange thing I now tell you.  It is quite beyond the usual, daily care on which the flock depends so fondly. But I have seen it more than once.

Sometimes, in spite of all the care of the shepherd and his dogs, a wolf will get into the very midst of the flock. The sheep are wild with fright.  They run and leap and make it impossible to get at the foe in their midst, who at that very moment may be fastening his fangs in the throat of a helpless member of the flock.  But the shepherd is with them.  He knows what to do even at such a time.  He leaps to a rock or hillock that he may be seen and heard.  Then lifts his voice in a long call, something like a wolf’s cry: ‘Ooh! Ooh!’

On hearing this the sheep remember the shepherd; they heed his voice; and, strange to tell, the poor, timid creatures, which were helpless with terror before, instantly rush with all their strength into a solid mass.  The pressure is irresistible; the wolf is overcome, frequently he is crushed to death, while the shepherd stands there on a rock crying, ‘Ooh! Ooh!”

-I will fear no evil for thou art with me.

 

You anoint me with oil –

“Oh, there begins the beautiful pictures at the end of the day.  The psalm has sung of the whole round of the day’s wandering all the needs of the sheep, all the care of the shepherd. Now it closes with the last scene of the day.  At the door of the sheepfold the shepherd stands and ‘the rodding of the sheep’ takes place.  The shepherd turns his body to let the sheep pass; he is the door, as Christ said of himself. With his rod he holds back the sheep while he looks them over one by one as they go into the fold. He has the horn filled with olive-oil and he has cedar-tar, and he anoints a knee bruised on the rocks or a side scratched by thorns. And here comes one that is not bruised but is simply worn and exhausted; he bathes its face and head with the refreshing olive-oil and he takes the large two-handled cup and dips it brimming full from the water he has brought for that purpose, and lets the weary sheep drink.

There is nothing finer in the psalm than this. God’s care is not for the wounded only it is for those who are just worn and weary.

-thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.

 

Are we living death or living life?

What I hear in the stories told by the Syrian guest, is that the heart of shepherding and being a sheepfold is relationship. Thou are with me, you anoint my head with oil – both are relational. When reminded by the shepherd to not be afraid, the sheep work together – collectively pushing in on each other to form a tight community, and face/address/tackle whatever ‘wolf’ is in their midst.

There are instances where collectively we hear God’s call and do push in on each other to form a tightly knit community that addresses social ills and evil in our midst. But there are other examples where we are scattered and not a sheepfold at all. When it comes to the stewardship of creation, reconciliation with Indigenous peoples, addressing Systemic racism, we are not in the sheepfold, we are not even in the same field.

There are other areas also where perhaps we are living dead, rather than living life.

Areas where we are not living as a sheepfold, meaning relationships are all screwed up. Consider how the norm is no longer tight knit neighbourhoods or extended family living.

We have hired-hands and out-sourced our relationships: consider that much of our caring capacity has been given to ‘experts’ – professionals, service providers, organizations, government- particularly in relationship with seniors and long-term care, childcare, health care,  education, food production, manufacturing the things we use. On so many levels - We are disconnected. We are outsourcing relationship.

Are we living death or living life?

 

The Syrian guest’s reflection on Psalm 23 is the shepherd standing on rock or hillock and crying, ‘ooh! Ooh!  This is a call to resurrection, a call to not be afraid, a call to remind us to work together to stamp out evil in our midst; to push in on each other and form a tight community and address the things that draw us away from relationship with shepherd and sheep and creation.

 

Living death – is living that does not have us living into our capacity to care; it is living devoid of relationship, or only living into some relationships. It is outsourcing and hiring others to do the difficult work of walking with others, suffering with others, taking care of others. It is being too busy to care or too wrapped up in your own stuff to warrant getting involved.

 

Living life – is living that is resurrection. Life that brings joy because all your relationships – those with God, people, creation, objects; centre on care and growing and or reflecting on the relationship.  Living life is taking to heart the care of the Shepherd and applying the word’s thou art with me and you anoint my head with oil, and then sharing this resurrection  in and through our relationships.

 

As a gathered community - Anointed with oil and cup over-flowing- be released from fear and refreshed from weariness; that you may live life. Amen.