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Nearly thirty years ago, I moved to a small town in the western districts of Victoria – sheep country. City born and bred, my new community recognised I had much to learn about their way of life and I was welcomed to visit families on their farms. My first farm visit was in late February, normally a hot and dry time of the year and this was no exception. Drought, the curse of many farming endeavours, had struck and during my visit I was invited to help repair a water trough in a distant paddock to ensure the survival of the flock. What struck me as I handed tools over to the farmer who was well practised in the art of farm maintenance was how, at the sound of the farmer’s work, the flock gathered around. They looked to him for protection and he had obvious care for them.
I am struck in this Gospel reading today by how important Jesus’ message was to the people of the land to whom he preached. A natural teacher, he knew that to get his message across he had to speak in a way they would understand. Simple shepherds, most likely looking after sheep that did not belong to them, they knew the importance of protecting the sheep entrusted to them. This protection came at a cost – time and exposure to danger. Wild animals weren’t the only things these shepherds had to be wary of.
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There is a great heritage of sheep tending in Australia, and a wonderful tradition of modern-day shepherds looking after their flocks. This story we hear today resonates for many in the Australian bush. Jesus is the Good Shepherd who wants his flock to be protected. Jesus will offer his protection, his direction, so that his flock can find peace and security. His message is just as apt today as it was two thousand years ago. We are his flock and Jesus wants to offer us his protection.
There are many things that can take us away from his protection: our busyness, our binge watching of streamed television shows, our reliance on social media, our desire to have all things we think we need to live the perfect life we have dreamed for ourselves. Unlike sheep who, let’s face it, are pretty simple creatures at heart, we might not be aware of the dangers outside, or even inside, our doors.
In today’s reading we can be comforted by the words of Jesus. Yes, there are many things that can take us away from him, and the vision, dream and protection that he has for us, but his invitation is always there. If we live our lives with, in and through him, we can have the life that is our best fit. In a world that can be confusing to us, challenging, and sometimes frightening, we can turn to that one certainty – Jesus has come that we may have life and have it to the full. That’s a pretty comforting thought, even to those of us who may be experiencing, for whateverreason, a drought of the soul..png)
