For a few weeks now we’ve reflected on how the extraordinary sign of the empty tomb reveals how ordinary will not have the last say. That’s true Good News for us, because often ordinary just doesn’t work. Ordinary can be monotonous or boring; it can make meaning difficult to find and when bad habits, addictions or compulsions become ordinary, it robs God’s people of freedom. Worst of all is the ordinary experience of death.
However, with God’s help, ordinary practices by ordinary people can bring extraordinary results to our lives, our world and our Church. We explored how the extraordinary happens when Christians work as a Church. When the first Christians sacrificed personal ambitions to contribute to the goals of the group, they built a community where, “…the whole group of those who believed were of one heart and soul…”[1]. Something extraordinary happened: “There was not a needy person among them…”[2]. That’s the kind of community we build here, especially through our generous giving and our service.
Last week, we examined the extraordinary power of ordinary words. Encouraging words may build a person up to strive for extraordinary and hurtful words may bring tears or lead someone to settle for ordinary. When Jesus opened the minds of his followers to understand the scriptures, they accepted a gift of joy and reconciliation delivered through some ordinary words, “Peace be with you.” But before receiving that extraordinary gift, they had to do something ordinary: they had to be familiar with God’s Word, the scriptures. It’s God who grants extraordinary understanding of his Word. The first task of Disciples is often to simply be familiar with his word.
Today we celebrate Good Shepherd Sunday, a weekend where we reflect on the image of Jesus as a shepherd. Now, we’re lucky to have many good leaders in our community; I think of parents or educators or so many who go out of their way to lead and guide others to growth. Communities depend on good leaders, shepherds for God’s people today.
Those who lead us have limits though and flaws; no one is perfect. As a result, there are many broken things in our world that have become ordinary. Right in our community there are people who go hungry or struggle to find housing. Violence is never especially far away. Relationships struggle and even end at times, despite best efforts. There’s plenty of hurt right here in our community even though it ought to be one of the best places on the planet. Of course, it’s easy to point the finger of blame. But, truth-be-told, a change in shepherds is often just a trade of one set of challenges for another. That’s some bad news for sure, But God plans to do something about it through disciples who mirror the love of the Good Shepherd.
In the first reading, we heard about a moment when Peter and John were arrested. There’s some background to this arrest. One day, Peter and John went to the temple to pray where they encountered a crippled beggar. Peter and John had been out of work for over three years as they followed Our Saviour, so they had no money to give the poor man. Instead, they spoke to him about Jesus and prayed over him in the name of Jesus. Suddenly, the crippled man was healed and started walking. This caught the attention of the crowd of people who wanted to know more about this Jesus whose very name could bring healing. The commotion in the temple area attracted the attention of the authorities who had Peter and John arrested.
Of course, everyone was impressed by the miraculous healing; there was no problem with that. But when Peter and John told the story of the unjust crucifixion of Jesus and of his resurrection, the authorities took great offense and ordered the arrest of the two disciples.
More impressive than the miraculous healing was how the miracle came to be through ordinary people. Even today we expect healing to come through the hands of educated doctors, surgeons and other medical professionals. Peter and John may have been leaders, shepherds, in the early Christian community, but they were very ordinary. They weren’t the smartest or strongest or educated in any way. They did not come from royal bloodlines nor did they have any money or influence backing them. This baffled many.
It’s easy to picture the saints as being extraordinary, as needing some kind of hall of fame for their greatness. But the truth is that the saints were all very ordinary, like any of us. Some saints were rich or influential or healthy, while others were none of those things. Some were well educated while others couldn’t even read.
It’s convenient to picture saints is being extraordinary. After all, if the saints were extraordinary figures, it becomes easy to brush our hands of the task of sharing the Good News; we can leave that difficult job to the best us. But the saints weren’t extraordinary. They were people, like any of us.
What made the saints unique was how they mirrored the Good Shepherd. The Good Shepherd is so good because of the lengths he’s willing to go to guide his people to growth: even to the point of surrendering his life. Saints are great simply for following that example.
The Good News is that God wishes to redeem the world through shepherds, leaders for today. This Sunday is a moment for us to appreciate how God works to do this through each one of us. In big or small ways, in our homes, families and workplaces, among our friends and loved ones, we’re all in positions of influence and have opportunity to be like the Good Shepherd who leads and guides the flock of God’s people.
So, wanting to fix the world or at least give a taste of Heaven, here’s the challenge for Disciples of today: be like the Good Shepherd. This won’t be accidental; it’s not possible to accidently be like the Good Shepherd who give his all. No, becoming like the Good Shepherd takes deliberate prayer and thought.
At the entrance, you’ll find some prayer cards featuring our seminarians, men who are taking a moment to deliberately consider how they could be called to be like the Good Shepherd by serving in the ministerial priesthood like Fr. Darlington or myself. It’s a seven to nine year journey, so I know these men would appreciate your prayers.
Of course, not all are called to shepherd in that way, but we’re all called to reflect the goodness of the Good Shepherd. This is why you hear me asking all of you to get involved. It’s not just to build things up here; I know that through you is how God wants to work in the world and share his Good News. We see this especially through the way God can bring big and extraordinary outcomes from the small and ordinary help so many offer. A small group of people here sorts cans of soup weekly, a very small and ordinary thing through which hundreds are fed in an extraordinary way. A few people share their voices in the choir or give a smile at the entrance. Through that ordinary act, God is made present here in an extraordinary way. Good Shepherd Sunday is an invitation, a call for each to reflect on how to be like him.
God of all that is good. We thank you for creating us and praise you for guiding us through your Spirit. Inspire us by raising up shepherds for your people today who reflect the love of the Good Shepherd. May we, your people, never shy away from the call to follow you but trust completely in Jesus, the Good Shepherd who gives his very life for us. In his name we offer this prayer. Amen.
[1] Luke 4:32 (NRSVCE)
[2] Luke 4:34 (NRSVCE)