Beloved Friends,
This Sunday is both the Fourth Sunday of Easter, and also what we call Good Shepherd Sunday. It is a day to continue celebrating the gift of the resurrection as well as reflect on the particular image of Jesus as the Good Shepherd. And I readily admit, until recently, I have had a mighty hard time finding the depth of meaning and beauty in this particular image.
Think about it- sheep, really? I mean of all the animals that God could have chosen to represent humans, why sheep? Sheep are often described as unintelligent, aimless and defenseless. None of the qualities that probably any of us aspire to, and yet, this imagery is prolific throughout scripture. With just a little reading it is clear sheep are fairly weak animals- not strong survivors, not fierce predators- in fact they are almost entirely dependent on the shepherd that cares for them. So for years I have not warmed to the image of Jesus as the Good Shepherd and I, a sheep of his fold.
And then over a year ago I started working on an icon of Jesus, the Good Shepherd. I admit I approached it with some resistance, but as with all the iconography I have worked on, I trusted that it would help me enter into a deeper understanding of this imagery and possibly help breakdown some of my resistance, and maybe offer a deeper appreciation. And so I began.
What has happened over the past year and a half is what always happens when I commit to an icon and the work of “writing an image”; I have let it work on my heart and break open what would have otherwise stayed locked away. This unfinished piece is still sitting on my art table at home, waiting for my attention, not unlike this image of Jesus always waiting for us to pick up and engage when we are ready and willing. As it looks back at me, unfinished and needing my attention, I can share that I am finding new richness in this imagery realizing that both the process and the product are rich with nuance, shadows, depth and texture.
In a nutshell, I am learning that if “unintelligent” means not knowing everything, and “aimless” means needing to wander a bit, and “defenseless” means being more vulnerable and true to self, then perhaps recognizing how we are indeed like sheep from time to time, might just help us grow in faith as we continue to learn how to trust in the One that calls us by name.
May you never forget that you are loved.
Lisa