Easter 4
Who is the Good Shepherd?
The fourth Sunday in Eastertide is traditionally set aside as Good Shepherd Sunday.
When I think of The Good Shepherd, my mind goes straight to three Shepherds. The Master who is THE Shepherd. The other two are our Diocesan Bishops, Bishop Scott and Bishop Gary.
Most of their ‘Shepherding work’ lies hidden from us and that is absolutely right. The heavy duty pastoral and admin work is none of our business. Thank Goodness!
So a better question is who are they? For Shepherding is not just something you do, but a shepherd is something you are.
For Bishop Scott and Bishop Gary, one of the most important things they do is simply turning up and being there. It doesn’t sound a lot, but it is. Subconsciously you and I come to understand that they are reliable, accessible, available, and infinitely approachable.
At their very finest we will come to know that we are loved by them even when they have to nudge us uncomfortably down a path that is strange, new and bewildering to us. Bishops and The Master must always say the hard things graciously. While patting us on the head and encouraging us and leading us to the feast, they must also ground us firmly and pastorally in what is best for us. The things that God wants for us are sometimes not altogether to our liking.
I know my sheep. A good Shepherd knows their sheep, and the Master Shepherd knows us really, really well. When the gospel writers wrote these words, the shepherds did not have kelpies and collies to help them. The sheep knew the shepherd’s voice in much the same way I imagine that the kelpies and collies know their owner’s voice.
But there is voice recognition and there is knowing. One of the great privileges of serving a diocese and region like this is the connectivity and the ease of discovery of other people, but it does come with its trickiness. Sometimes there are people who are shy, and it takes a long time to get to know them. Others, they will never really know. Mixed into this seething, bubbly cauldron is the secret ingredient that people are always evolving, changing, being uplifted and transported, being dashed down and maliciously scarred. We are not the same people as we were when Bishop Garry first came among us 14 years ago, and he is not the same either. We have aged, matured and continued to be transformed. Getting to know a flock is an ongoing and unending process.
Something also needs to be said about the thorny issue of when the clerical shepherds fail the people under their care. The briefest look at the Royal Commission in 2013 would remind us that some of our Shepherds were not good Shepherds at all. What do we say when we see the huge cavernous gap between what the gospel says, and their faults, actions and inaction?
People of all faiths seldom live up to the high ideals that they aspire to and sadly Christians are part of this mix as well.
I would have to start by saying that if a crime has been committed, then… It’s obviously a police issue.
There are processes and an organisation within our church called the Professional Standards Boards that assess each case and determine the appropriate action.
Finally, when the perpetrator dies, the Church will always bury her dead. On the other side of the grave, they are now God’s problem, and while we might be tempted to hang onto our angst and disappointment, we must always ask How does God see this person?
A happier note to finish on
This word ‘good.’
The original meaning was actually "beautiful,” and only later did it expand into a personal/moral direction. So, Shepherds should aspire to be beautiful? Hmmm, now there’s an interesting thought. Probably not the same sleek, glamorous, sort of beautiful that you would find on the cover of a glossy magazine.
For me (and I hope that you might be able to relate to this), the most beautiful shepherds are the zany, crazy ones. The ones that are just a little out there.
But more than that, they are the bruised ones, the fallible ones, the flawed shepherds, the ones who got it wrong, who knew they got it wrong, asked for forgiveness and moved on. The good shepherds on this side of the grave Fr. David, are always sinners.
And I have been thrilled to know and walk alongside many of these shepherds. They are infinitely relatable, for in their many colourful eccentric quirks and faults, I easily see a mirror image of myself and if they have given me great hope and… thus there is great hope for you as well.
So the role as shepherd is not limited to clergy type people at all. Many of them are just like the people you see in the mirror. Every one of you is called to be a good shepherd. I have watched you, Shepherd, and I have been delighted and thrilled. You have encouraged, prayed, cajoled, rejoiced, prodded and shoved each other and me down the road and on towards the heavenly banquet. So the take home today is to keep on with your Shepherding. Don’t be embarrassed by your piercings, sniggers and tears for they are some of your most excellent credentials. We are all responsible for each other and for those who are not of this fold. Turn up, listen up and enjoy. You are the Good Shepherd.