STUMBLING THROUGH THE FIELDS OF COMPASSION
In today’s Gospel reading, we’re offered the parable of the lost sheep, and through it, a helpful image of what God’s love is like. A shepherd realizes 1 of their 99 sheep has gone missing and leaves the flock in search of it. We can imagine the shepherd carefully searching every canyon, valley, and mountain for it. When the sheep is finally found, the shepherd can’t help but be filled with joy.
Perhaps this story sounds quaint in our time and place in the world, but for the shepherd, their flock was their entire life. There is no 9 to 5 job, no house or condo to go back to, no car out front, no cell phone or laptop, no vacations or weekend outings. When one considers this, and how despite it, the shepherd left their flock in search of a single lost sheep, we can begin to understand the immensity of God’s compassion for us.
There’s been no shortage of times in my life that I have gone astray or felt lost. Whether from the demands of a hectic life, ongoing hardships, past attachment and trauma wounds flaring up, or just the complexity of my own humanity, I’m no stranger to unfamiliar fields. My self-will and ego can sometimes make matters worse, but no matter how far away I go, it takes only turning around to know that God’s compassion has been looking for me all along.
The years on the spiritual journey continue to unfold, and despite the healing work and growth, I still wander off, and probably always will. Each time though, the shepherd faithfully leaves the flock for the search. The eternal pattern of God's love for humanity goes on.
How may we be feeling a bit off-track or lost in life right now? What stands between us and turning around to see that God’s compassion has been looking for us all along?
Albert Wolff