Jn 10:10b. The greatest promise of the good shepherd is the abundance of life. His reference point is the Father, source of all life! And what he does is to turn everyone's goals to the perfection of the father. And the father's perfection is compassion. "Be compassionate as your Father in Heaven is compassionate". Lk 6:36-38.
The gospel invites us on the one hand to seek solace and comfort in the protection and guidance of the Good Shepherd, and on the other hand, to turn the mirror on oneself and see to what extent I am a good shepherd.
Abundance of life, we usually take it in the sense of having a life of fulfilment - typically accomplishments in life and healthy interpersonal relationships. There are several instances in which we tend to lose life through human interactions. Some interactions take away life - people may fall into depression, and it is almost death, though the person might still be alive!
'Dead, though still alive' - chattatinokkume jeevichchirikkilum!
Generally, our reflections do not take us beyond the psycho-socio-spiritual realm as far as 'life in abundance' is concerned. Yes, we would examine it from Maslow's hierarchy of needs peaking at 'self-actualisation'. But Maslow begins with the basic needs - physiological (food, clothing, shelter) and safety-security needs. In Sanskrit tradition, it is spoken of as 'shareeramaadyam khalu dharma sadhanam'.
Last 3 weeks, I attended an online training in Yoga - organised totally free for faculty members by Abdul Kalam Technical University (AKTU) and led by Saurabh Bothra, an IIT (Banares) graduate. Habuild (Habit building) is his startup venture, more from the passion to spread the message of the fullness of life through Yoga, than from the quest for earning profits. It tries to make Yoga available for people of all situations - irrespective of their physical limitations. For him, the commitment to life begins with gratitude for the gifts (of life) which we often tend to forget. And the expression is a smile on your face - a smile for all the world!!
I feel in today's world keeping oneself and one's flock fit, with gratitude for the gift of life, is a responsibility of the good shepherd. A fitness culture is to be part of Christian commitment to life. But it can go beyond theorizing to praxis, by the very valuable services of regular blood donation, pledging of organs for donation at one's inevitable departure from life etc.
However, against the background of undeniable climate change, global warming and vital resources like water and air getting increasingly polluted on account of irresponsible or perhaps casual or ignorant human behaviour, it is an important task of the good shepherd to educate one's flock about human impact and human responsibility to preserve the life-supporting resources as well as mitigate the damage humans do to them. It can easily take the form of 'NET ZERO PARISH' or CARBON NEUTRAL SCHOOL etc.
Jn 10:14 Good shepherd knows the sheep.
Am I among the sheep of the Good Shepherd? It is consoling to learn that he knows me. But very often I am in doubt. Does he really know me? It is more than often a one-way traffic. Apply - apply - no reply! I feel jealous of St. Paul, who is said to be a great apostle - the apostle. But with the kind of experience he was given, I don't think there is anything so surprising about that. I challenge the good shepherd to provide me with some such experience and see what I would be like! If all this is real, our task is much more onerous and to live spiritedly is much more challenging!
I have questions - the very same questions from time immemorial - or perhaps, from the time people began to believe in God as love: why does God permit all these? The Jesus-solution is to leave it to God resignedly saying: not my will, but Thy will be done. He showed the inevitability of human suffering, and set a course by which it can be faced, while also making efforts to ameliorate sufferings of others. The reason is yet to be found, though the religions, especially the Christian editions, have discovered some thesis in the 'original sin' and Jesus' sacrifice as the expiation for the same and the channel of grace for all.
I can only continue to pray: Lord I believe, help my unbelief. That is a nice prayer fitting the human predicament even after 2000 years!
Christian literature and culture have many elements to comfort and console playing the good shepherd like the Psalm 23, or hymns like: God will take care of you. But I am waiting for the Lord to speak and hear him!
While I have list of items to crib about - neglect, lack of recognition, ill health... a casual reflection makes me realise how blessed I am! God is indeed taking care of me - food, clothing, shelter... almost anywhere you go, you are received. I visited the ailing and the aged of our circles in the last two days - they are being well taken care of. And I feel I am able to go around and move - bike and walk, even hike! My God, what a blessing! In spite of all the minor ailments which are there on account of the age setting in, I am blessed. It is the Loving Shepherd that takes care of me!
I am bound to be grateful for the care of the Shepherd that I take for granted, and gratefulness is to be expressed in cheerfulness in life, not being grumpy, spreading a smile and reaching out to others in consolation.
My young online Yoga instructor, a smart IITian with a startup HABUILD, begins the daily instruction with the reminder to be cheerful and grateful! The Reiki practitioner would advise to start the day, with the first pledge - Just for today, I shall show the attitude of gratitude.
I am also bound to spread the message of care of the shepherd by caring for those of my flock, knowing their distress and making efforts to bring comfort to them.
In my turn, am I a good shepherd who knows one's sheep?
I am inspired by the modern-day banks, which year after year, try to update the data of their clients. They call the exercise KYC - Know Your Customer/Client. How is my KYS? Do I have any sheep? Typically, a parish priest/a pastor is having a flock - a Christian flock, and how far do such shepherds know their sheep? I felt deprived that I am not having such an opportunity.
Do we as shepherds know our sheep? Their specific situations, their difficulties, their constraints, their stresses and strains, their anxieties? Do they know that we know?
In counselling psychology, this calls for the skills of 'understanding' and 'empathy'. You understand their situation, you sense the implications from their point of view, and you are able to communicate that you know that so that they feel reassured, comforted, and fortified.
Good shepherd knows the sheep - knowing requires listening. Listening patiently to what they have to say, visiting them, sparing time for them, and listening with your eyes, observing and hearing what they do not articulate in words! I think the non-formal or evangelical churches are able to win people to them (is it to Christ or merely to them?) because of their ability to know the sheep, through listening to them and understanding them, and being of support to them, in the times of their distress.
For a Christian, especially an ordained minister or a consecrated person in religious life, any field of one's entrusted mission is the pasture and all who come into their contact ought to be the flock to be listened to and responded to. Usually, it is one-way here - especially with the institutions: it is orders and commands and communique; and not dialogue and listening and responding. It is safer to order about and get the tasks done. We slowly and successfully manage to run our small militaries efficiently, having the reputation for being disciplinarians and administrators.
And we think we are right, and we know the best, and we are comfortable with it. Hence, Rev.3:17 would say, for you say, 'I am rich and affluent and have no need of anything,' and yet do not realize that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked. Jesus asks us to get away from our comfort zone and reach out in listening, understanding, solidarity and collaboration with people beyond our conventional thinking of flock.
The Shepherd is asking me to be a good shepherd realizing the magnitude of my pasture, the numbers of my flock, realising that everyone around is a sheep of my pasture - my coworkers, my students, the parents of my students, their families. As a good shepherd it is my duty to know them, or as an institution, to be a good shepherd to them through a caring culture of KYS!! With the staff being formed into a larger body of like-minded shepherds caring for the flock.
Jn 10:16 I have other sheep that do not belong to this fold. These also I must lead, and they will hear my voice, and there will be one flock, one shepherd.
This was the fanciful thinking of many Christians that all will follow one religion, and will become Christians. All the more, perhaps, for the Catholics, recognising themselves as the true Christians and all will come to be Catholics! Barclay tries to make a distinction between flock and the fold. He suggests that the original version is about flock and not fold, and says that even in different folds people can be one flock, who follow the Good Shepherd.
Whatever be the nuances of such terminologies, we could very well realise that what is more important is to 'listen to the Good Shepherd' and live accordingly, rather than having the same assembly. Jesus recognizes the importance of reaching out to others and help them to be part of the flock - is it for any demonstration of power or for the overall growth of the reign of God - of justice, peace and joyfulness? Can Christian living be a witness of these core values, that people feel touched by them? Or do we remain an alienated community practising our specific rituals, happily taking care of 'our sheep', and leaving the rest to themselves?
The wide network of schools and social service and healthcare institutions all over India is a great opportunity for the shepherding task. The mission is to spread the good news of care and build up a culture of justice, peace and joy, as John Paul would say, a 'civilization of love'! Indian ranking of 126 (146) in the Happiness Index 2024 and 134 (193) on the Human Development Index should be a challenge to all of us in various domains to engage with these values through our institutions, that the Good Shepherd's experience is there for all who come into contact with us.
How do we reach out to others in Christ?
This requires the ability to cultivate culture and circles of tolerance, understanding, coexistence, solidarity and collaboration. This requires building bridges on an ongoing basis in various directions, rather than feeling smug and complacent with our rituals and feasts.
Our religion is more about preserving our different identities through rituals than about being 'followers of Christ'. We try to make distinctions with the Catholic church on the basis of rites and make the divisions stronger and rigid, similarly, we try to make distinctions between the Catholics and other Christians, and hardly ever seek avenues where we can come together as followers of Christ - guided by the Good Shepherd, His words and His life.
The mission involved in engaging in dialogue with cultures is a very important one, which has been really marginalised. The importance of secular platforms where people of all faiths or no faith could come, dialogue, solve problems and act together for the common good, is a great mission for today.
Very often, we fail to be good shepherds to our flock - whether in a typical parish or in a more difficult situation of running an institution or an organisation. This cannot be merely done by preaching gospel in the conventional mode; But Jesus gives a clue, and he dares those who challenged him in his times: The works I do in my Father's name testify to me (Jn 10:25); and he dares his followers when he speaks to the Church of Laodecia (Rev. 3:3) I know your works, I know you are neither hot or cold.
Lord, be you the Good Shepherd to me! May I be assured of your guidance. May I find you 'reproving and chastising' (Rev. 3:19) me when I feel like deprived and neglected; May you find me earnest and repenting on my waywardness. (Rev. 3:19). May I be alert to hear your knock at the door of my house, so that I may open and receive you in to have the privilege of dining with you.
Jn 10:11 The Good Shepherd may lay down one's life for the flock. This was hardly a possibility in our country, till recently, notwithstanding the courageous exceptions of Bl Rani Maria or Blessed Graham Steins. Now with Fr Stan Samy and with the increasing mobilisation of majoritarian religion with others being depicted as enemies, the possibility of laying down the life is much more. Not that there is continuous threat or harassment everywhere, but the probability of any spark being spread into a conflagration is much greater.
That we are able to convert such opportunities into another work of the shepherd's care would be our challenge now.
O Loving Shepherd of your sheep, thank you for being our caring shepherd. Thank you for the assurance that you know me, know us, though very often I find it hard to believe! Help my unbelief. May, in my turn, I be a shepherd after your heart, knowing my sheep, listening to them, and they listening to me, and we all being one in your spirit of goodness and care, justice and peace!
Hymns:
Yahowa charwaha mera (Hindi)
Yahowayam deivam en idayanatre (Malayalam)
Loving Shepherd of Thy Sheep (English)
God will take care of you... (English)
No comments:
Post a Comment