Photo by James McGill on Unsplash

Photo by Biegun Wschodni on Unsplash

Nita Gilger

Nita Gilger

The Comfort of Green Pastures

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.  He maketh me lie down in green pastures.

​- Psalm 23, King James Bible

Imagine that God is Love and that we humans are grazing in this Love, nourished by it even as we might not have a concept for it.  After all, nourishment as such, considered in abstraction from actual grass, is a fairly abstract concept.  Still we have the experience of being nourished by the green pastures of family and friends, of the  natural world and the simple joys of life; and we have faith in the possibility that no matter what happens some kind of nourishment is possible.   We would like to orient our lives around the nourishment and be vessels of its healing power.  It helps if we have a more concrete image to focus our attention.  Say, the image of a shepherd who forever guides each and all into green pastures.  We need not insist that this good shepherd is all-powerful.  We know that we and others stray all the time.  But the shepherd is a moral and spiritual compass and also, as Nita Gilger emphasizes below, ,a companion: in Whitehead's words, "a fellow sufferer who understands."   For Christians Jesus is this shepherd.  He is made in the image of divine Love and his mission is to show us the way into green pastures, not by teaching alone but by example.   Our task is to become ambassadors of the Good Shepherd.  We need not pretend that all of life is a green pasture.  There is much sadness and terror, horror and injustice.  There may even be bad sheep.  But, like Jesus, we,can be channels of a healing grace that is beneath, beyond, and within the whole of life.  We, too, can be shepherds.  

​- Jay McDaniel, August 4, 2021

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​The Good Shepherd: A Universal Love

By Nita Gilger
July 30, 2021

 
 Down, down, down we descended into the catacombs in Rome.  A few in our group stayed up top due to claustrophobic feelings.  As we walked along the dimly lit paths, the burial niches were hewed out beneath the surface into the walls of the passage ways.  I thought long and hard about the Roman persecution of the early Christians. Imagine having to worship in secret putting one's life at risk.  The history of that era was enough to ponder.  But then, we came to some of the earliest Christian art on the catacomb walls and ceilings. These 3rd century frescos were there in these well-preserved places of community, worship, and burial grounds. The paintings represented Jesus as The Good Shepherd.  It was illegal to create explicitly Christian art in the Roman Empire.  So, early Christians hid their art in the catacombs and those paintings give us a window into their faith. What was their understanding? There were no crucifixes painted of a bleeding, pierced, suffering Jesus. There were no empty, beautifully decorated crosses that one could wear as jewelry.  There were only images of Jesus as the Good Shepherd.  

On the walls of the Callisto Catacombs is this image of Jesus with a sheep draped over his shoulders from the mid-3rd Century. In the Catacomb of Priscilla in Rome is another well preserved image of Jesus as the Good Shepherd from about the same time period.  Here, Jesus has a lamb on his shoulders and two sheep at his sides representing his flock.

Jesus said of himself that he was the good shepherd willing to lay down his life for his sheep. He goes on to say in the Gospels that even the sheep who are not obviously a part of his fold will be a part of the flock.  He says, "they will hear my voice, and there will be one flock”.  All have access to that love. Jesus describes God as ONE with him and with all.  Notice in this fresco that there are birds and trees and light.  This universal Christ burst onto the scene with a love of all creation and a hope of restoration, reconciliation, and a peaceable kingdom. We are invited to help create such a world no matter which flock we identify with in our faith practices or lives.
 
These images have guided me for a very long time and help me to understand God as a companion God full of love and grace--even to the point of suffering with and for us.  The shepherd image is one of love, devotion, care, nurture, guidance, and protection.  It is this sense that the Divine Presence will always be with me and in me through all times and in all situations.  That does not mean I am exempt from danger, pain, mistakes, and heartache.  It simply means that I am not alone in those times. The very love of God is surely sufficient in the best and worst of times beckoning me toward a creative, loving way to give and care for myself, others, and all creatures great and small. It is a relational love.
 
I am very glad I do not have to worship in a Catacomb in secret to preserve my life.  And, I am exceedingly grateful that the Good Shepherd shows us a love that knows no end no matter what may come.  The big challenge is to BE that same love to others as we care for each other and our world.
 
And, as an aside, a word about sheep.  They need a shepherd because, if not, they will follow each other to the end...even into danger and unwise places.  Sheep need a lot of care and attention and they need a reliable caretaker/shepherd.  I love watching the border collies in Scotland as they herd sheep.  One dog can manage a huge number of sheep.  It is clear they depend on the farmer and the dog for guidance.  They would be lost without help along the way and so would I.  For me, Jesus, as The Good Shepherd, is pure love. It is a love that is open, vast, creative, beautiful, welcoming, inclusive, and inviting. It is a healing, forgiving, amazing love that leaves none behind. That love is a gift of grace which is sufficient for me.  Yes, me.  Even this black sheep who wanders off; gets lost; and doesn't always follow easily.