I may only officially follow one Scottish crofter on Instagram, but once you interact positively with one type of content, the algorithm eagerly provides more, in between ads of course. Since it’s lambing season, I’m not complaining, as I love to see all the tiny lambs and hear their baby baaa’s. But it’s not just in the physical world that we celebrate lambs, spiritually we celebrate the glory of the Paschal Lamb, Jesus Christ. 

A woman in my Bible study lent me a book she thought I’d enjoy, after I had mentioned my hobbies of spinning wool and knitting and weaving with it. The Holy Spirit has prompted me that now is a good time to read it. It’s called A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23 by Phillip Keller. The copyright is older than I am by a year, so I have no idea if it’s still in print or not. Most people know this psalm, if not by heart they could at least paraphrase most of it. As the psalm is only 6 verses, I was surprised to see 12 chapters in the book. My goal is to read a few chapters each week and reflect on them. She was right that I would like it; had it been my own book, I probably would have highlighted every other sentence.

The Lord is my shepherd

A whole chapter on only part of the first verse? Yes, and wow, what a chapter. Reading it at face value, it seems sweet enough, conjuring up a sense of coziness with the divine. Being human, we often read that relationship from our point of view, namely that we choose God. But that’s not what it means. It means that God has chosen us. And not just that he chose us, but that He owns us. That is one of the words the author uses: owns. Let that wash over you for a minute. Do you feel outraged? How dare He! But when you look at that from a shepherd’s perspective, He that owns the sheep is responsible for them, totally and completely. From disagreements within the flock, and protection from vicious predators, to adequate shelter and the proper food, the shepherd takes care of all the needs of the sheep. What this portion of the verse conveys is that we acknowledge our relationship to God. We are not claiming God, but joyfully, restfully, and peacefully submitting to His care.

Another point the author makes is through the recall of the memory of when he bought his first flock of ewes. A fellow rancher handed him a knife to make those sheep truly his. This was done by cutting a unique notch in the ear of the sheep. Each rancher had his own, it’s how they could tell who owned which sheep if they ended up mixed in with another flock. His first task as the owner was to cause them pain, to cause their blood to flow. While he knew it had to be done, it was not a task he wanted to do. One by one he captured each sheep and made his mark. They were his, under his care and he was going to do everything he could for the health and well being of the flock. Spiritually, it’s the opposite for us. It’s Jesus who shed His blood on our behalf to wash us of our sins. The mark He leaves on us in Baptism and Confirmation is the sign of the cross in water and oil. Yet the power of the relationship through the sacraments is far stronger than any cut in our flesh.   

I shall not want

While the author acknowledges that this verse can be interpreted in a straightforward manner, there are proactive steps that the shepherd takes so that the sheep are not in want. A shepherd cares for his sheep on a daily basis and knows each one. Because of the familiarity, the shepherd can identify when a sheep may not be feeling well, is injured, or is bothered with parasites and can take immediate action. He talks about scanning the sheep at the beginning of the day, taking inventory of each one, not just to identify that it’s present and part of the flock, but of its whole health. If we pray this portion of the psalm, do we open ourselves up for God to do the same with us? Or are we claiming that God is our shepherd while we’re off seeking how to get through the fence to whatever is on the other side? At one of the sheep and wool festivals I attended, I remember seeing a sheep in a temporary pen that had lots of green grass and little flowers to eat. But the one sheep was stretching out her neck as far as she could trying to reach a flower that was outside of the pen, even though there were plenty within it. God takes care of all our needs, but are we content to be satisfied with how he provisions us? 

In green pastures he makes me lie down

This chapter was a fascinating lesson as to what it takes for a sheep to lie down. This is no small feat! Basically the only way a sheep will lie down is when its belly is full and has absolutely nothing to fear. While the first one may be more easily achieved, the lack of fear is quite the balancing act. Sheep know they are prey animals, so it takes a lot for them to feel comfortable. Anything can set the flock running to the other side of the pasture. And it’s also a battle with nature itself, protecting them from parasites as well as unpredictable predators. If a shepherd is able to keep those natural elements at bay, well then there are the sheep themselves, or rather their personalities. Just like humans, not all sheep get along nicely with one another. Yet the author noted that sometimes it’s the mere presence of the shepherd that quells any disharmony within the flock. The only way we can truly pray this portion of the psalm’s second verse is when we are in a moment of total peace. For me that would be in Adoration of the Real Presence. But we don’t need to wait until we are in the midst of the Blessed Sacrament. In times that are most stressful, we can pause, put ourselves in the Presence of Christ no matter where we are, and pray this psalm. 

Reading this psalm from a shepherd’s perspective is a great way to celebrate lambing season, since I’ll never experience living with sheep in such an intimate way. I’m only three chapters into this book and it already feels like a mini retreat! It’s also a great reminder that the physical world and the spiritual world parallel each other and if we want to learn more about God, we do so by studying the world He has created.