The Model Leader

Gospel: John 10: 11-18

Everyone has a sense of who truly cares for them in their lives.  The people who spend time with them, who pay attention to them, and respect them are those we come to trust as those who have our interests and welfare at heart.  We may find such people among our family, friends, teachers, mentors, and clergy.  Their interest in our life has nothing to do with their self-interest or gain.  They genuinely care for us as we are and for ourselves alone.

We might find such relationships rare nowadays where self-interest and transactional relationships seem to be the norm of modern society.  Nevertheless we have this ideal of a shepherd - one we seek for ourselves, and one we seek to be ourselves for others.  This ideal is found in the person of Jesus who sent from place to place modeling this care for others: engaging people face to face in their needs and at table, sharing and listening to others in their hopes and fears, joys and sorrows.  

People long for and need such people in their lives, and they need to be such for others as well.  So often even church feels transactional and self-interested activity where selling time shares in a pew is really the goal rather than care for others.  Today is a day for us to reflect on how we might model the example of Jesus in being a good shepherd for others.  It is a day to reflect on who those shepherds are in our lives, people we trust and rely on.