“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. The hired hand, who is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and runs away—and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. The hired hand runs away because a hired hand does not care 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. I have other sheep that do not belong to 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 in order to take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it up again. I have received this command from my Father.” (John 10:11-18, NRSV)
I have other sheep that do not belong to this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice.
Who are these other sheep?
Well look around your neighborhood…
We see many different denominations, and even in the denominations sometimes we have more than one congregation…
Do we all look alike?
Do we all worship in the same manner?
Do we all say the same prayers?
Sing the same songs?
Many of us will have the same readings every week, but there will still be differences among us…
Yet we all worship the same God and participate in the Eucharist. And when we do that we are joining together at God’s table as one united holy and apostolic church! We are one flock, with one shepherd.
It is not hard to see who the other sheep could be. Jesus has other sheep beyond what we see, and He loves them as He loves us.
So let us accept the others who will be coming, as Christ accepted us, and look upon what unites us (Christ) instead of the differences we think separate us!
aSacredRebel 