The Good Shepherd in a Post-Truth World
God’s silence
Some believe that God no longer communicates in the same miraculous ways He once did when speaking with Moses in the burning bush or in the spectacular showdown on Mount Carmel. God has gone silent. Yet, in such confusing times as these where our greed has objectified everything for consumption, and the war between Hamas and Israel rages on, stirring up hatred, violence and anti-Semitism, such as hasn’t been seen in our generation, surely God has something to say?
Perhaps, in a world so full of noise and distractions, the problem is not that God chooses silence but that we have become disconnected from the nuance of His voice.
Sheep need a shepherd
Why are the people of God so often likened to these hapless creatures throughout Scripture? Sheep are defenceless and so easy prey, they are stubborn and prone to get lost. They are often confused, easily frightened and their bad eyesight causes them to follow each other, sometimes into great danger. Perhaps God makes this comparison to communicate an important truth; we need a shepherd. This means we need to recognise our shepherd’s voice above all the clamour, reclaiming the mark of true discipleship which is having a posture of attentiveness towards His voice.
Plugging in
There are perhaps five ways in which we can ‘plug in’ to God’s voice.
1). The Word of God is alive through the power of the Holy Spirit. Some might find reading Scripture through meditation or lectio Divina helpful, a deliberate and prayerful reading which helps us deepen our relationship with God.
2). Prayer is a continual relational conversation (1 Thessalonian 5:17), a Holy activity whereby we are still before God and enabled to communicate directly with Him and thereby to others.
3). Silence allows space for God to move, guide and speak.
4). Dreams and visions, according to Joel, will increase in the last days as the primary mark of the outpouring of the Spirit on all flesh (Joel 2:28).
5). God’s creation can speak to us through our culture or community. Perhaps we should look to the marginalised, the oppressed, those our culture often ignores, with the knowledge that God most consistently speaks from the margins.
One flock
Unlike hirelings, Jesus stays with us, even to the cross, sacrificially laying down His life whilst holding the power to raise it up again (John 10:18). Jesus is the universal shepherd whose death has united all people into one flock (v.16). May we live out a life of integrity and example that draws others to the Shepherd’s distinctive voice and into life everlasting.
The books that helped shape this devotional are listed below in the bibliography.
Bibliography
- Grieg, P. ‘How to Hear God’s Voice in Troubled Times,’ (https://www.premierchristianity.com/prayer/how-to-hear-gods-voice-in-troubled-times/html).
- Runcorn, D. Choice, Desire and the Will of God: What more do you want? London: SPCK, 2003.
- Times of Israel, ‘UK Jewish group records all-time high in antisemitic incidents after October 7,’ Times of Israel website (https://timesofisrael.com/uk-jewish-group-records-all-time-high-in-antisemitic-incidents-after-october-7.html).
- Schoenian, S. ‘Sheep 201: A Beginner’s Guide to Raising Sheep,’ Sheep 101, (https://www.sheep101.info/201/behavior.html).
- Foster, D. Reading with God: Lectio Divina. London: Continuum, 2005.
- Israel, M., Learning to Love. Bristol: Mowbray, 2001.
- Chrysostom, J. In the Heart of the Desert: The Spirituality of the Desert Fathers and Mothers. Bloomington, Indiana: World Wisdom Books, 2009.
- Ceresco, A. R., Introduction to the Old Testament: A Liberation Perspective. New York: Orbis Books, 2001.
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