When she has brought out her own,
she goes ahead of them,
and the sheep follow her because they know her voice.
—John 10.4
In the West where I come from
shepherds and cattle herders
and their dogs nip from behind—
but in agrarian societies
the shepherd goes ahead
and the sheep follow behind.
The Good Shepherd does not send you alone
but goes first.
In paths of righteousness,
even in the valley of the shadow of death,
the Beloved is ahead of you.
If you are lost or misplaced
maybe you listened to
the commercials of fears and desires
instead of the delight of the Beloved.
Even then, you will find no path
where the Beloved has not gone first
and found the way.
__________________
Steve Garnaas-Holmes
Unfolding Light
www.unfoldinglight.net
April 29, 2020