The prophet Jeremiah reminds us today that the Lord has promised to care for his people (that's us) ... to appoint shepherds for us after his own heart (Jer 3:15). The image of a shepherd appears repeatedly in the gospel in order to remind us that our God cares for us in the same way as a shepherd cares for his (or her) sheep.
Shepherds, and others who dedicate their lives to caring for animals, truly get to know the ones they care for - they are aware of their behaviours and moods, the ones who cause trouble, the ones who are loyal, the ones who go out of their way to care for others ... This is the same kind of relationship that God seeks to cultivate with us, and the same kind of relationship that he hopes we will develop with him. Out of a deep sense of love and caring for us, he promises always to provide shepherds for us and to teach them how to think and act like he does.
Those of us who have already encountered the tender heart of God can willingly testify to the gentle way in which he calls us to spend time in his presence; the infinite patience he always has with us: waiting for us to turn to him; the quiet whispers he sends our way at times to remind us that he is always present to us, constantly calling to us.
The challenge for us today is that there are so many other voices calling out for attention: some of which are shouting, others which are presenting all kinds of temptations. In the midst of such noise, it seems increasingly difficult for us to listen for the whispers ... and eventually we run the risk of the shepherd's voice being drowned out completely, the result being that we end up wandering aimlessly.
Today, let us make some space in our lives so that we can listen for the whispers of the shepherd who is calling out to us, searching for us, seeking us out. Let us ask him to come in search of us, and when he finds us, let us ask him to pick us up out of our wildernesses, to envelop us in his loving arms and to bring us home.
Have a great day.
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