THE SHEPHERD’S SONG;
Evg. Ditty Thomas
A Reflection on Rising Responsibilities of the Church
“Then Jesus went about all the cities and village, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people. But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered like sheep having no shepherd” (Matthew 9:35-36). Today, we need Jesus more than ever before since many are losing their heart and plunging into spiritual and mental distress as they worry about the Covid-19 and the damage it can do to their lives. We usually are hopeful about who we are and what we can do. The question is, how do we find hope in these difficult times? The Bible points to certain solutions for all dilemmas in this regard. Jesus is a compassionate God who moved with sympathy when he saw the people without a shepherd (Matthew 9:35-36). Accordingly, we the church, being the light and lamp to the world, must be a source of hope and life to the world. Amidst the present scenario; the church has increased its responsibility to serve God even more and reach our pain stricken society. Though we learn and practice the ideas of isolation, social distancing and lockdowns from the government. As far as the spiritual warfare is concerned we need to hear from God. Let us seek God's face to fight every issue in life including the virus. We must see God as the essential spiritual emotional and physical healer in times like these.
fellowship etc. It speaks about a journey that starts with hope, goes into darkness and comes back to life. The singer begins with joy. The song is all about our God, the divine Shepherd-King, who leads His people to nourishment and safety. However, the scene in the song quickly turns to darkness. The path which he travels becomes a valley of the shadow of death. But the shepherd's 'rod' and 'staff, becomes the divine guidance implemented to protect and guide the sheep. Thus, the sheep gets comfort.
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The Shepherd's song is all about real life and not an idealised picture. It speaks of suffering akin to facing enemies. We have a stronghold and refuge; we do not depend on ourselves but in a God who keeps us. Hence, we read in the end of the Shepherd's song that: “surely goodness and mercy shall follow me, all the days of my life.” Great to see the people doing all they can to help folks in our communities and to meet their physical and emotional needs; but the church should be taking a lead role in helping and providing spiritual bread and drink to the needy. Remember the example of the Good Samaritan, the story in the Bible, which speaks about the need to take care of others. Similarly, let us ensure we have noticed those who are in distress, even if they are often invisible to us. We are capable of bearing the truth. Honesty strengthens our hopes. Finally, there is one more thing that everyone can do. “Prayer!” Let us pray for all. Stay blessed.
Three thousand years ago a young King from the shepherd background called David, wrote a song. It was far-famed in his time and widely renowned even today. It is the Shepherd's song, Psalm-23 “The Lord is my Shepherd.” It is quite popular; even the divas of today would consider it as a great achievement. We sing it in our corporate worship, weddings, common
Kingdom Perspectives | March-April 2020
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