In this Easter season, the scripture texts take us back to the words of Jesus, words that the disciples recalled as they pondered the mystery of the resurrection, and what Jesus wanted them to do next.

Here Jesus speaks about himself as the shepherd, the guide and guard of those who love him.

[Read John 10:11-18]

I’m a city person. Too much open space makes me nervous, so when I started thinking about sheep, I had to call my brother, who lives on a farm in Wisconsin. I asked him what he knows about sheep, and the first thing he said was: “Sheep are stupid.”

 

“Hmmm,” I thought. All over the Bible, the people of God are compared to sheep. The familiar and beloved words of Psalm 23 proclaim right away that God is our shepherd, making us, by definition, sheep. Psalm 100 proclaims that we are the s…