We could really use a good shepherd right about now. S2E17
It’s that day again – Good Shepherd Sunday – when Gini asks Tim to share his expertise as a shepherd IRL (In Real Life, for those of you my age who don’t have twenty-somethings in your life). Together we explore the readings from the Acts of the Apostles and the Gospel of John, and yearn for a Good Shepherd to lead us to pastures we haven’t already eaten & trampled to death. God knows we need a GOOD shepherd, not the self-interested, thieving kind whose ways are violence and scarcity. But the GOOD kind, who will lead us in ways where the whole flock ends up nourished and cared for. Have a listen to see how to know that shepherd and follow that shepherd’s voice!
Here is a link to the article Gini mentioned toward the end of the episode. Its title is provocative: The Age of Suffering: How America Abused Itself to Death: The Message of Coronavirus, and What American Collapse Teaches Us About the Future. It’s a long read, but includes things like this insightful gem:
America exploited and abused itself to death. It’s a lesson. Every system needs to renew itself, invest in itself, nourish its young bits, nurture its vulnerable parts. America was too busy [sic] obeying the law of the predator to ever understand the wisdom in the law of the nurturer. The law of the nurturer. Our task, our challenge, our responsibility is this: to build systems and ideas and ways and avenues which fulfill this great and timeless challenge — to reduce the needless suffering in the world.
This man is engaged in very deep spiritual work, from the entrance point of economics. Such rich food for thought and prayer in this time of economic and social fracture. And I am reminded, as a person of faith, God is doing a new thing.
As always, the readings may be found at lectionarypage.net
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