The Vineyard Church

We went hiking up the mountainside of the Comeragh Cliffs in Ireland to reach the falls of Mahon. The mossy hillside was still partially snow-covered with a slow, April thaw as we worked our way to the top. All around the rocky edges were sheep wandering aimlessly along the peaty earth. I couldn’t help but wonder how they could possibly find their way home, or better yet, how any shepherd could gather them in this vast open space of County Waterford. Now, I love animals. I tried really hard to get just one of those sheep to respond to me. No matter how carefully I approached or how gently I spoke, the sheep would stare and run away as I approached. It was frustrating. Across the cliffs, seemingly out of nowhere, came an Irish farmer. He did not approach the sheep; he simply called out to them. They all began to climb the mountain and move toward this man. I was bewildered.

This morning in Ireland resembled what Jesus is referring to in John 10:3-5 when He says, “The watchman opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice. But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger's voice." The Lord obviously understood something about the behavior of sheep. Typically, sheep are instinctive followers. Dozens have been known to fall off cliffs following one sheep off the edge. They are skittish to loud sounds and prefer a “still, small voice.” Sheep easily get lost and require a shepherd to gather them and take them home. The nature of the shepherd is also quite clear as we look at John 10:11: "I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.” The Shepherd’s passion was ” to give life abundantly” to the sheep as it reads in John 10:10.

The key seems to be the relationship that must be maintained for life, guidance, knowing and hearing. John 10:14 says, "I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me." Without this relationship, sheep wonder aimlessly, not being able to see where they are going or what they are doing. Sheep have poor depth perception, so having a shepherd to follow and being able to recognize his voice is vital for abundant living. This is the lesson learned in John 9:25 by the man born blind when he says, “One thing I do know. I was blind but now I see!" Metaphorically, this is a lesson for all sheep. Hearing the voice of the shepherd and following are essential to the abundant life offered by the shepherd. Our connectedness keeps us from moving blindly through the world.

As I watched the sheep scattered across the rocky hillsides in Ireland, I realized how easy it is to wonder aimlessly without the guidance of a caring shepherd. I understood as I watched the shepherd that the close proximity of the sheep to the one guiding them was essential for life, and knowing the voice of the shepherd was essential to his guidance. I found myself contemplating simple lessons as I scaled the cliffs of Comeragh, life lessons that have been at the heart of this sheep’s walk.

Blessings,
Rebecca Holihan