Jean Vanier writes of
the Good Shepherd:
Jesus reveals that he is the Good Shepherd.
Although the word Good is used in most translations,
It does not capture the nuances of the original.
In Greek, the word is kalos,
Which can be translated as ‘noble’, ‘beautiful’, ‘perfect’
‘precious’ or even ‘wonderful’
So every time I use the familiar phrase ‘good shepherd’
Please translate it as
‘wonderful shepherd’ – ‘THE shepherd’
(p.184 Drawn into the Mystery of Jesus through the
Gospel of John)
He goes on to note:
Shepherding is about
caring for those who are weak, lost and in need
It is about presence,
love and support.
Shepherds are needed
as much today as they were in the time of Jesus, to love people and guide them
to greater life. (p. 185 Drawn into …)
For Vanier, the gift
of being a Good Shepherd – of emulating the example offered by Jesus is not
about being perfect, but being perfectly human.
The Good Shepherd is
about Trust – trust being given, and trust being returned … the good shepherd
is about the giving of one’s self without hesitation or regret … the good
shepherd is about humility – recognizing our faults and our weaknesses, owning
our strengths and caring gently and carefully for those around us …
This idea builds on
the concept embodied within the account offered by John. John is a carefully
constructed gospel. It doesn’t just throw the stories of Jesus out there
willy-nilly, but rather has woven them carefully and thoughtfully into a
tapestry that helps tell a story while revealing the majesty and glory of who
Jesus was and who Jesus continues to be …
This brief story of
Jesus proclaiming himself to be the Good Shepherd takes the ideas identified by
Vanier, and combines them with the notion of being called out.
The verb at play in
the tasks before the Good Shepherd is not to simply lead the flock in and out
of the paddock, but rather to call the sheep out into something more –
something bigger than they can imagine, or even at first flush believe … The
Good Shepherd is about inspiring the flock to step boldly and faithfully into
the unknown and experiencing the fullness of God’s love …
As I thought about
what image conveys the tasks of the Good Shepherd that are here for us to live,
emulate and embody, my mind wandered to the kids’ movie entitled “Babe” that is
about the adventures of a little pig who manages to experience a major life
lesson … and along the way, helps to illustrate many of the ideals and concepts
of The Good Shepherd in a most unlike way.
The movie begins with
Babe being born in a massive modern barn and as the other piglets are being
taken off for parts unknown, as the runt, he is pulled out of the conveyor belt
and taken to a fair where he is entered as both the object and the prize for a “guess
the weight” contest.
Babe is won by a
local farmer named Hoggett, who brings him home with the idea of having a menu
of ham, bacon and other porcine delicacies after Babe has fattened up a bit …
but as in any good story, fate has other ideas in store for Farmer Hoggett and
his farm, and this little pig.
Babe is missing his
mother and doesn’t fit in with the other animals on the farm … he is adopted by
Fly the sheep herding Border Collie mother, who along with her partner Rex were
once award winning Shepherding dogs – with countless titles, ribbons and
trophys to their credit.
Rex is furious at Fly
for such a contemptable action like adopting a pig and letting it be with their
puppies – to Rex animals should know their role on the farm and things should
stay the way they have always been – the subplot is born! … As the movie
progresses, young Babe is nurtured and guided by Fly the female border collie,
as well as Maa, the old matriarch of the sheep. Babe picks up pointers and over
and over proves to be a pretty competent and capable sheep herder, even for a
pig!
One morning it is
Babe who intervenes and prevents the theft of the sheep. Then Farmer Hoggett begins
to see young Babe exhibiting his skill at herding chickens and begins to wonder
if this little pig is something special, and perhaps this little pig might be
able to shepherd the sheep too.
As Babe starts to
shepherd and guide the sheep he begins by using the tactics of Fly and Rex the
Border Collies biting the sheep and growling at them, but when the sheep balk
at his barbaric wolf like treatment, he begins to guide the sheep by asking
politely and winning their trust …
Farmer Hoggett
watches and takes note of the remarkable things this little pig is capable of
doing.
One
morning, Babe is challenged to lay down his life for the sheep when wild dogs
break into the paddock and attack the sheep, leaving Maa mortally wounded. It
is young Babe who dashes into the fury of the attacking dogs and drives them
off … it is too late for Maa who dies of her wounds, and when Farmer Hoggett
arrives and finds the little pig covered in blood, he assumes the worst and
decided the time for this little pig to become dinner has arrived …
Babe is saved from
the butcher block by Mrs Hoggett who calls from the house to tell Arthur, that
the police just called about wild dogs attacking sheep nearby …
And, so the life of
the little pig reprieved, Farmer Hogget hatches a plan to enter the young pig in
the local sheep dog competition … Farmer Hoggett finds a loophole – the application
asks for the name of the animal in the Sheep Herding trials, but doesn’t ask if
it is a dog … so young Babe is entered in the contest under the simple name
‘Pig’ – keeping with Farmer Hoggett’s repeated affirmation “That’ll do Pig.
That’ll do.”
Babe is taken to the competition,
where Fly and Rex realize the the sheep won’t listen to him because he doesn’t have
the appropriate password that tells the sheep he is to be trusted, it is Rex
who runs back to the farm and humbles himself before the sheep and learns the
password that will let Babe do what needs to be done …
I won’t give away the
ending of the film – it is ONE very much worth watching, especially if you have
little people in your world who would enjoy a movie night on the couch … it is
one of those films worth watching that has nothing offensive or bad, and is
just a very sweet story …
The lesson of Babe
though is, as the narrator tells at the beginning – the tale of an unprejudiced
heart. It is the story of the Good Shepherd.
The good shepherd who
will lay their life down for the sheep …
-
the good shepherd who
will chase off the wild dogs, the poachers and those who would do the sheep
harm,
-
the good shepherd who
will treat the animals fairly and with justice,
-
the good shepherd who
will challenge the way things are and create a new way of seeing and
experiencing the world,
-
the good shepherd who
will transform reality, lives and who will call the sheep BY NAME and love them
all …
The Good Shepherd who
calls the Border Collies, the Sheep, the farmer, and the community out into
bigger things than they ever thought possible. The Good Shepherd who embodied
and shared trust while also willingly offering themselves for others …
The tiny little pig
shows our kids – and us, if we take time to watch the movie – how to live a
life worthy of the lesson offered by the Good Shepherd … living life sharing
with others.
All of this – the
story of a little pig with an unprejudiced heart – the call of the Good
Shepherd – and the values identified by Vanier from this reading, lead us to
the place where we stand fully in the presence of God, and like the ancient
Psalm that celebrates God as the shepherd, we place our trust and faith fully
in God … and it takes us to the place where Vanier’s closing thoughts on this
reading and the idea of the Good Shepherd resonate within us:
There are, of course,
tragic death through wars and accidents.
There are sicknesses
that bring death at an early age.
The death of those
whose lives have come to an end after a full life
Can be painful for
those who are left behind.,
But it is a passage
to God and into eternal peace for those who die.
Their time has come …
As children they
received life,
They lived life as
young people,
They gave life as
parents,
Or as people who
communicate life to others
Through their
commitment and love
As old people they
gave life to others through their presence and love
The joy of human
beings is to leave this earth
Having given life to
others
Who in turn are
called to give life to another generation.
Isn’t this the cycle
of life on our earth?
Spring brings leaves
and flowers,
Summer brings
maturity,
Then comes autumn,
When the harvest of
grain and fruits is picked and eaten to give life.
The leaves fall and
nourish the earth, also to give new life.
Then there is the
silence of winter,
A time of waiting for
new life to rise up.
The Good, the
Wonderful, THE shepherd
Leads us into this
cycle of life
Where we are called
to receive and give life …
(pp. 192-93 – Drawn into the Mystery)
Life that allows us
to affirm and live and embody the words of the Psalmist who knows that God is
with us in every moment of life, from the darkness of the valley of the shadow
of death to the lush green pastures where our cups and our beings over flow
with blessings and love …
May it be so – thanks
be to God … Let us pray …
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