Today the prophet Micah calls on God to tend the Israelites like a shepherd—to pasture them again as of old and forgive their sins. The image of a shepherd is not one that we in the United States can really identify with. There are not a lot of sheep farms and few of us know shepherds. We have an idealized, romanticized image of them. But it is hard work. A shepherd must keep constant vigil to protect this flock. They must earn the trust of the flock so they will come to the sound of their voice. Whose voice do I recognize and trust? I was visiting a church years ago when the Gospel was the Good Shepherd. The priest gathered the children and once they were settled at his feet, he asked them, “Whose voice do you recognize on the telephone without them telling you who it is?” All most all the children shouted out, “Grandma!”. He smiled and so did I. We know the voices of loved ones and trusted friends. We cling to these people because they have our backs. Today, I am going to give thanks for those people who walk with me, support me, and love me unconditionally as we make this trek called life. (Sorry to ignore Luke’s Gospel story of the Prodigal Son, but I don’t have anything new to say about this well-known parable.)
