Shepard of the Hills
There are many movies I’ve seen where I have read the book first. I would say that, almost always, the book is better than the movie. Even one of my favorite movie series, The Lord of the Rings, directed by Peter Jackson, pales in comparison to JRR Tolkien’s books.
The one example that doesn’t fit this mold is the movie Shepherd of the Hills, which is based on the book of the same name by Harold Bell Wright. In case you haven’t watched the movie, I won’t share too many details. However, consistent with the title, the main character comes to the Ozark hills intending to stay. He performs several acts of kindness for the locals and is referred to as the good shepherd.
My own example of being a good shepherd goes like this: Yesterday, we got a baby goat (they love weeds that grow in fences, you know). We have a couple of big dogs outside, so we knew we would have to introduce the goat to them slowly. (These dumb dogs love to bark, while wagging their tails, at smaller animals). I set up a temporary enclosure and went to bed.
In the middle of the night, a storm rolled through. Suddenly, we heard our two dogs barking their fool heads off and what sounded like a young child screaming. We went outside and saw the storm had a microburst that blew the goat’s enclosure over. The goat had run to the dog’s enclosure, and they expressed their displeasure by barking their fool heads off and cornering him in the process. I had to get on my hands and knees in the beating rain to rescue the goat from the dogs.
I got him on our deck and set him down. I was trying to coax him to me when my wife came out. She grabbed a couple of towels and wrapped the goat and rocked him to calm his fear. We (ok, it was my wife’s idea) decided to get this large old dog carrier, which was out in the beating rain, to house him until morning.
I stepped in several large puddles bringing this carrier up to our deck. As I opened it, I felt a sting and realized I had disturbed a wasp nest. I put down some hay, and we got him in it. As I was rehabilitating the carrier, my wife told the goat I was a good Shepard for him. A wave of emotion went over me.
“Truly, truly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door but climbs in by another way, that man is a thief and a robber. But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. To him the gatekeeper opens. The sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. A stranger they will not follow, but they will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers.” This figure of speech Jesus used with them, but they did not understand what he was saying to them. So Jesus again said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. All who came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. He who is a hired hand and not a shepherd, who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees, and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. He flees because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep. I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep. And I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd. For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life that I may take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This charge I have received from my Father.” - John 10:1-18 ESV
I was willing to get soaking wet, dirty and smelly, it is a goat, after all, to rescue my goat from dogs that didn’t know him as a part of their herd. My wife was willing to swaddle this soaking wet, dirty, smelly goat and try to calm his fears. In trying to provide a safe, dry, warm place for him to sleep, I endured a wasp sting. She was right; these were all things a good shepherd would do.
When I consider Jesus’ words from John, it brings the parable of the good Shepard more to life. Oh, how I long to be that lamb that Jesus rescues from the rain, muck and danger, and be held and calmed by his reassuring voice, only to be given a clean, dry, warm place to lay my head.
We all can, before we get called home, be good shepherds to each other and be on either the giving or receiving end of that contentment.
