Reflection March 27th, 2020

Jesus used this figure of speech with them but they did not understand what he was saying to them.  

I don’t know about you, but I empathize with those disciples. Before Jesus’ death there were things they were not able to understand. But later…after his death. After the resurrection… slowly but surely they began to get what it meant to hear Jesus’ voice… to live the abundant life that he talked about. It took awhile…it took the outpouring of the Holy Spirit which called into being the church… And here we are today.  

And yet…in my experience… though we have read and learned and prayed and heard sermons and teachings, when a crisis hits like we are in today, it seems we need to experience our faith and learn God’s ways and listen for the voice of Jesus, the Good Shepherd, in deeper ways.  

These days we hear reflections about hopes for this time such as this one from Kitty O’Meara  

And the people stayed home, and read books, and listened, and rested, and exercised, and made art and played games and learned a new way of being, and we’re still. And listened more deeply. Some meditated, some prayed, some danced. Some met their shadows. And the people begin to think differently. And the people healed, and, in the absence of people living in ignorant, dangerous, mindless, and heartless ways: the earth began to heal. And when the danger past, and the people joined together again, they grieved their losses, and made new choices, and dreamed new images, and created new ways to live and heal the earth fully end even as they had been healed.  

What a great dream!  

And...how do we get there?

How do we hear the voice of the Good Shepherd in the midst of this time so that the dream can become a reality?   This is a tremendous opportunity for us to draw closer in our relationship with God, with one another.

To be more aware: - of what we can learn in this time – the importance of family and friends and health -    of caring for others - of rest and prayer - of the importance of our choices - of our true work, which is different from our job  

This is an opportunity to hear/recognize the voice of the Good Shepherd inspiring creative ways to meet with others…have dinner together online…so many innovative approaches to connect.   

Amd yet…let’s remember that there are things we can’t yet know… Let's remember that Jesus will continue to teach us… that we will understand later…  

In the meantime, let’s keep listening for the Good Shepherd’s voice of love, of correction, of wisdom.

And let's share that with one another.  

Let us trust in God to lead us, Jesus to walk with us, the Holy Spirit to inspire us.  

Amen.