Let Us Love In Truth and Action

Let Us Love In Truth and Action

1 John 3:16-24; John 10:11-18 

The image of the Good Shepherd endures as an idyllic pastoral scene in many of the churches I have visited throughout the years. Just this week, I attended Boundary Training as required every three years for UCC ministers, at Good Shepherd Community Church in El Paso, where our friend Rev. Paul Kirker is pastor. They have a framed picture of the Good Shepherd in the entryway, a familiar graphic I have seen thousands of times since my youth. 

When I was a kid in the 1950s, the US was a nearly unbearably upbeat place to live. The entire culture was so positive, so sure that things were getting better, so confident that life was good. Preachers had no chance of preaching repentance, beyond a focus on our private and personal missteps. Life represented what we now call “Modern Thought” – where we theorized all humans were basically the same, we were optimistic, we believed science will save the day, we can make everything better, we care about the common good, reason is our greatest ally, tomorrow will be so great, I can hardly wait. 

The kind of Christianity that was so easy and attractive in the “Modern” world of the 1950’s was dusted in confectioner’s sugar, if and only if, you were a white, middle class person, who fit into the stereotypes. It was especially good for straight, white men. The world was yours when you were, “Free, white and twenty-one.” 

Today; where cultural icons are being torn from their thrones by credible accusations of sexual abuse and harassment, where government leaders are held in contempt for elaborate coverups for their financial and sexual misdeeds; where public monies are being employed in pay-offs and buy-outs; cynicism is having a hey-day, and optimism is hard to trust. In our “Post Modern” world, – every one has to look out for themselves, we know the whole thing could easily blow up, science does as much harm as good, things might get better – but probably won’t, it is not clear that there is a common good to protect, and we don’t trust what comes from the heart - but learn from bitter experience.

We need a much more nuanced faith than the faith of the 1950’s in order to be effective and be intelligible to the world today. We need a more grounded and compelling way to support young people who are growing up in this emotionally violent world. What does the Good Shepherd have to say about public trust and the emotional stability of a community? I think the Good Shepherd represents our first vision of stability. 

The Good Shepherd cannot accomplish anything of value until the shepherd has earned the trust of the flock as a whole. There will always be skeptics and poor-mouthers. When times are good, they are considered as eccentric parts of the community, welcome and understood as lovable oddballs. Think of Eeyore in the Winnie-the-Pooh stories. When times are bad, their pessimism is treated as a bell-weather of tough times ahead, and their sour worldview seems to have greater significance. 

The shepherd then, begins by doing the right thing, and representing goodness and confidence. Confidence says that it is right to be good and generous, whether the culture reflects optimism or not. It is always true, it is right to be good and generous. One courageous voice, sets the tone for others.  

There are several shepherd stories in the Bible, there are several in the gospels. It is a well-used metaphor. We love the image of the shepherd. The image works best, when kept in the frame by the front door. It is especially heart warming if you do not have experience with the blatant stupidity of sheep. When we regard them as little lambs, posing for pictures in a pastoral setting, it is a lot easier to deal with. 

We have been investigating the theological concept of “the scandal of the particular.” We realize that the theory is rooted in the unlikely particulars of Jesus of Nazareth - regarded as the incarnation of God’s good love. It is a scandal when we consider the specifics of his birth and the very ordinariness of the circumstances surrounding the human Jesus. 

The scandal plays out in the image of the shepherd, who in biblical times was often the youngest in the family, or the one who is not the sharpest knife in the drawer. The closer we get to the particulars, the romanticism wears thin. 

I for one consider this good news. I do not need to be a preacher like Billy Graham - filling stadiums and consulting with presidents - to be regarded as faithful to my calling. The integrity of my faith and vocation is not measured by the size of the congregation, or the number of readers of my blog. I am not called to represent the faith in heroic situations. 

This is likely a good thing. My sarcastic sense of humor might slip out at an unfortunate time, and social media trolls would denounce my very ordination as suspect. In this way I envy Nadia Bolz-Weber, the tall, tattooed, female Lutheran pastor who was first a stand-up comedian. Her entire public, pastoral persona is a celebration of her unlikely emergence as a preacher of note. The congregation she founded and pastors, “The House for All Sinners and Saints,” represents the most unlikely communion of fellowship. 

The Good Shepherd, when we take the picture frame off and consider the smelly reality, becomes a model that we can appreciate, and even imitate. We give people our word, and consider that more binding than a contract. A contract in this age, is only as good as your lawyer. For people of integrity, a promise has fewer weasel words, is backed by the integrity of your position in the family, and the family’s position in the community. 

It is very hard for me to consider the integrity of the biblical image of the Good Shepherd, and entertain the thought that Jesus would renege on a promise. In very simple terms, the promise made by any Christian should have the same expectation. If I make you a promise, I will do everything in my power to honor my word. 

Are there black sheep in the flock? In a church that welcomes everyone, our pews should be filled with characters that would find it hard to slip in unnoticed in other places. The “House for All Sinners and Saints” is a fitting destination for those who have a speckled past, attempting to make peace with the particulars of lives lived short of perfection, drawn by the promise of compassion and not even interested in the drive for perfection. 

The Good Shepherd might be presented today as the Kind Nurse’s Aid or CNA. My mother has become increasingly dependent on the attention of these over-worked and low paid assistants. The individuals who are kind, make a personal contact, look for ways to encourage mom as a person and more than the patient in the “B” bed are the best. Some of these folks are absolutely outstanding, and their care is often the difference between a good day and a bad day for my mother. 

What then is the message of the Good Shepherd in a Post-Modern, Post-Christendom world? Live your everyday life as though it were being presented as a model for faithful living. Be kind. Be fair, heck, be more than fair. Trust that God loves the world that you live in, and has planted blessings for you to discover, ahead of you every step of the way. 

Realize that like the Good Shepherd, or the kind CNA, or the cheerful retiree, you can be the sighting of God’s love to everyone, or at least to one someone today. It is scandalously smelly work sometimes. There might be exalted, public moments worthy of mention, but invariably it is simply every day living where we maintain an awareness of our connectedness to God and neighbor. 

Here is where the image comes to play. Like the shepherd, who is not chosen because they are brilliant or hold a position of honor, we represent care and compassion on the ground. As we confront the realities of this post-modern world, we bring our faith grounded in the love of God in action - that we know best through Jesus Christ, into the lives of those we encounter. We bless people when they are troubled. We deliver God’s blessings to those who may not even know they crave blessings.  

The Good Shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. We put our integrity as a child of God and follower of Jesus on the line, as we live in our troubled world. Our identity as people of faith is not credited to our ability to believe high and ascending thoughts. Our identity is rooted in the truth of God’s love for the world, and the steps we take to put that love into action. This call is not reserved for the rich, or even the most visible. In deed, the work is pretty humble. Even a humble shepherd can represent the love of God and the power of compassion, and so can you, Amen.