Being a shepherd

Everybody’s asleep and it is a silent night. Indeed, it is a holy night! The shepherds are watching over their flock. Suddenly, there is an angel that tells them that a child has been born, not far from where they are, in a town called Bethlehem. He is the promised Savior. And suddenly there is a host of angels bringing to the shepherds this wonderful message: “Glory be to God in the Heavens! For he brings peace to the world and showers the people with love” (Luke 2:14, Hoffnung für alle [Hope for all Bible] © 1983, 1996, 2002 by Biblica Inc.^TM. Used with permission of the publisher Fontis–Brunnen Basel).

The Bible tells us that the shepherds paid attention to the message—and immediately set out for Bethlehem. And indeed, when they arrived there, they found a stable, with Mary, Joseph, and the baby Jesus. The shepherds spread the good news to everyone about the wonderful things that the angel had told them about the child, and they also praised and glorified God for this wonderful event.

You are the shepherds of today and tomorrow!

Have you ever seen a shepherd? If you have, you may already know what a shepherd does. If you haven’t—don’t worry! I will try to explain what is so special about a shepherd and his job. A shepherd watches and protects. His job involves long periods of quiet waiting and attention. The sheep need protection and guidance. When the sheep graze or drink, the shepherd watches over them. When the sheep sleep, the shepherd pays attention to their surroundings. A shepherd has to be alert and receptive. He has to be ready to act quickly. The shepherd works outside, in the great outdoors. A shepherd must be reliable and willing to take responsibility. He has a zest for life, and he is a good listener.

In that silent, holy night, many, many years ago, the shepherds were the first people to hear the good news about the birth of the Savior, Christ Jesus. Today, of course, billions of people know who Christ Jesus is, but when he was born, hardly anybody knew about him—that he was the promised Savior. But the shepherds did. They were the first to receive the good news of the event that would eventually change the world. They heard the angel message, they were receptive to it, and they trusted its promise. They came to the stable to see this special baby, and then they told lots of people about it.  

Why, do you think, did the angels appear to the shepherds? Perhaps because of their alertness, watchfulness, and receptivity—the qualities that were so natural to them—they were especially well prepared for this big event. And because of their watchfulness, they were able to pay attention to the angel message and discern its importance. “The wakeful shepherd beholds the first faint morning beams, ere cometh the full radiance of a risen day.” (That is something that the Discoverer of Christian Science, Mary Baker Eddy, wrote in her book Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures on page vii.)

You may find it interesting that Christ Jesus referred to himself as “the good shepherd” (John 10:11). Christ Jesus was the Son of God. He brought the good news to the people that they belong to God. He taught them that God is good, and he showed all of us that no problem is too big, and no sorrow too small, to be healed by God’s love. In one of his sermons Jesus said, “Happy are they who sow peace because God will call them his children” (Matthew 5:9, Hoffnung für alle [Hope for all Bible]).

Today needs people who don’t sit around waiting for some good thing to happen—it needs active doers of God’s Word.

Now you may ask yourselves, “But what does this have to do with us?” Well, how about this: You are the shepherds of today and tomorrow! The good news that Jesus lived to tell is still here. And just like the shepherds of old, you can be open to the good news and listen receptively to it. Where others see a problem, you can pray, listen, and know that God’s power will bring healing to the situation. You can see the perfect child of God, His image and likeness, where others see sickness. And where there is strife, you can sow peace, knowing that since there is only one God, one Mind, all of God’s children live in peace with each other, just like all the sheep, little and big, in a sheepfold. 

Of course, for all of us, God is our good Shepherd, who leads us day by day and helps us be good shepherds to others. Mary Baker Eddy wrote an awesome poem that’s been set to music in the Christian Science Hymnal; it talks about God as our Shepherd. It is titled “ ‘Feed My Sheep,’ ” and it begins like this:

Our world today needs shepherds—people who can see, even when others do not, that all will be well—because all actually is well, since God is good. Today needs people who don’t sit around waiting for some good thing to happen—it needs active doers of God’s Word, ready to roll up their sleeves in prayer and start sowing peace. Today’s world needs people who trust, cherish, and spread the good news by living their lives in accord with it. Shepherds are still very much needed today—are you in?

P. S.: If you liked this article, you can read similar articles for children on Herald-Online, such as this one: “I was once a shepherd,” by Drew Ten Eyck, from the October 31, 1983, issue of the Christian Science Sentinel. Here is the link: sentinel.christianscience.com/issues/1983/10/85-44/i-was-once-a-shepherd.