Lenten Journal: The Voice of the Shepherd

"When he has brought out all his own, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice.They will not follow a stranger, but they will run from him because they do not know the voice of strangers." John 10:4-5

Every morning I walk through a smokey haze that builds up under the awning. Under the smoke on and around the bench sit/stand a group of recovering addicts who in their smoke search for hope. Every morning I say hello and spend a brief moment checking in. When I say moment, I mean a moment, no longer than a minute. For the most part it is no more than a simple hello. Each morning, after the greeting, I walk up the ramp way, unlock the door, and go inside. Every morning my routine is the same.

This morning something strange happened. This morning my eyes saw something new. After a brief conversation with young lady named Kim, I headed up the ramp way and out of the smoke filled air I heard a voice saying, "I love you. I love you. I love you." I looked back and my eyes became open to what was taking place. There on the bench sat a long hair, bearded man saying to each one, "I love you. I love you. I love you."

I began to tear up knowing that the voice that is speaking out of the smoke of our desperation, out of our pain, out of our selfishness, out of our ignorance is the voice of the one shepherd who is the good shepherd. The one who says, "I am the gate" "I am the good shepherd" "I am the living water" "I am the way" speaks out of a cloud of nicotine to people who are clinging to whatever hope they have. The voice of the gatekeeper, of the shepherd is bringing life to those who feel they have none.

I turned around, unlocked the door. I turned back once more and the vision that came just seconds before remained: there sat Jesus saying, "I love you. I love you. I love you." I stepped inside, leaving the door unlocked knowing that Jesus would probably not come in today.

Our prayer:

Come people of the Risen King, who delight to bring Him praise;

Come all, and tune your hearts to sing to the Morning Star of grace.

From the shifting shadows of the earth, we will lift our eyes to Him,

where steady arms of mercy reach, to gather children in

Come those whose joy is morning sun, and those weeping through the night;

Come those who tell of battles won, and those struggling in the fight.

For His perfect love will never change, and His mercies never cease,

but follow us through all our days with the certain hope of peace.

Come young and old from every land, men and women of the faith;

Come those with full or empty hands—find the riches of His grace.

Over all the world, His people sing—shore to shore we hear them call

the truth that cries in every age, “Our God is all in all.”

("Come People of the Risen King" by Keith and Kristyn Getty and Stuart Towmend)