God’s desire: that Love-Unearthed shepherd human ambition.

 I have been disturbed since the beginning of Easter.

I was running through the courtyard of Dalhousie’s medical school and noticed new banners on the light standards. Printed on the banners is the Med School’s new mission tagline: where infinite ambition meets global impact.

I actually came to a complete stop to ensure that I had read the banner correctly; INFINITE AMBITION

I find the thought deeply disturbing and disconcerting. For weeks, I have wrestled with why it bothers me so much. It is not either word by itself. I have nothing against ambition, in fact I have been known to be ambitious because its how my dreams become reality and how my creative projects come into existence.

I have figured out that it is combining ambition with infinite that is the issue.

Infinite, according to the Oxford dictionary means limitless or endless in space, extent, or size; impossible to measure or calculate.

Add to that the definition from the Cambridge and American dictionaries for ambition -

A strong wish to achieve something; a strong wish to be successful, powerful, rich, etc. (Cambridge)

A strong desire for success, achievement, power, or wealth; (America)

Imagine a limitless and endless desire – quest- for success, power, achievement, wealth.

Imagine success, power, achievement, wealth that is impossible to measure or calculate.

That is disturbing!

When I think about the world – climate change, environmental degradation; war, aggression, civil unrest; displaced persons, and humanitarian crisis- are they not fueled by human ambition? ---An entitled voracious desire for more.

 

It is Good Shepherd Sunday and tomorrow is Earth Day.

For me, both days are resurrection appearances in a world prone to and comfortable with infinite ambition. Good Shepherd Sunday and Earth Day are intentional days that are grounded in community and rooted in relationship. Repeatedly the Gospels relate stories and parables, where Jesus confronts human ambition and flips-the-script, to reveal God’s aspirations for creation. Easter is the grand unearthing of God’s love – that which died at the hand of human ambition was resurrected by the grace of God.

 

My ambition is to be a sheep – said no one ever!

Sure, at church camp you may have sung:

I just wanna be a sheep: baa, baa, baa, baa/ I just wanna be a sheep, baa, baa, baa, baa/

I pray the Lord my soul to keep/ I just wanna be a sheep, baa, baa, baa, baa.

Don’t wanna be a goat, nope. ... and so on.

But it was sung as a cute ditty. I’m not so sure anyone thought about the actual meaning and how one would live that out. What does it mean to follow the Good Shepherd; to be a sheep in the flock of the Good Shepherd; to be shepherded in/with/and under the ethic of the Shepherd?

With rod and staff, the flock is redirected from human ambition that desires infinite success, power, achievement, and wealth. Sheep individually relinquish thoughts of “my “ ambition – my will, our will-  and graze on God’s will, God’s daily bread where there is green pastures and still waters.

 

National Bishop Susan Johnson and partners wrote for their: In Full Communion Joint statement Earth Day 2024:

“Earth Day is an occasion to call ourselves back to our relationship and responsibilities to this world that we are blessed to live on, and our responsibilities to one another to work toward an equitable sharing of the fruit and resources of God’s creation. A recentering of these relationships is increasingly important as we continue to experience the effects of a worsening climate emergency around the world, and so we join with faith communities, civil society organizations, community leaders and concerned individuals in lifting up our commitment to work for a truly sustainable world for all.”

 

I think I am disturbed by the thought of infinite ambition because in practice I can see it spiraling out of control. It sounds greedy, competitive, and consumeristic. It feels incompatible and contrary to the essence of Easter and the resurrected life to which we are called. The bishops articulate key components of resurrected living: relationship, responsibility, equitable sharing, sustainability, community, and commitment.

God’s aspiration for creation -

consider an idyllic picture of a flock of sheep – grazing peacefully together in a meadow – common wealth of grasses, flowers, air, sunshine, rain; shared experience of the absence or presence of predators; shared protection and care from sheep dog and Shepherd; all creation, human, animal, plant, the seen and unseen harmoniously sharing life abundantly.

 

This whole season of Easter follows Lent and Holy Week, a time focused on letting go, offering to God, laying down our will, standing at the foot of the cross, kneeling with humility, admitting I can not live by my own merit- I am broken, confessing there is that which is greater than myself.

Easter is waking up resurrected; broken-yet-whole. Easter is waking up resurrected and finding not just yourself but others in the flock who have witnessed resurrection appearances too. Do not be afraid. You are not alone. I am with you to the end of the age.

 

For the Earth, it is time for us to confidently and with intent, to let human ambition die and be resurrected into God’s aspiration and desire.  Humbly declaring, I just wanna be a sheep.

Sheep are givers, giving meat, milk, and wool; wool being a sustainable fibre that is durable, renewable, biodegradable. As a flock -when sheep live together in community, grazing together, walking the land together - they reduce the impact of climate change.

Amazingly a flock of sheep sequester carbon deep into soil, create healthier soil, fertilize ground, remove invasive plant species, replace herbicides and lawn mowers, increase biodiversity for pollinators and bird habitat, and support wildfire prevention.

 

Although human, we too can be like a flock of sheep, reducing the impact of climate change. Grounded in faith community, rooted in relationship we can live God’s desire –

 that Love-Unearthed shepherd human ambition.

In Full Communion partners invite member congregations to live resurrection, suggesting that members:

participate in neighbourhood and community Earth Day events and activities, advocate for effective climate policy, discern how a congregation can continue to respond, learn about carbon impact of one’s church building, do a Green house gas inventory; and pray for healing, solidarity and action for the sake of the earth.

 

Our commission for Good Shepherd Sunday and Earth Day comes from our Full Communion Bishops:

“This earth Day, may our faith in the promise of the resurrection move us forward in hope to take action together.”

--Chris Harper, National Indigenous Anglican bishop, Susan Johnson National Bishop, Linda Nicolls, Arch Bp/Primate