Sheep Number 38

“If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them wanders away, what will he do? Won’t he leave the ninety-nine others on the hills and go out to search for the one that is lost?"
-Matthew 18:12

Scotland has so many sheep. There are nearly 7 million of them dotted around the landscape. There are only 5.6 million people in Scotland, so the odds are not in humanity's favor if they decide to revolt. 

And they frequently do, but they're not smart enough to really get organized, so they just sort of run around and it hasn't been a problem. Dogs and shepherds have been able to keep things under control so far. 

On my 80 mile walking pilgrimage in June, I was very excited the first time I saw a flock. Then I quickly realized that no one respects you in Scotland if you act excited to see sheep. Because they are literally everywhere. They're on mountains and in towns, fenced in and roaming free. I lost track of how many there were. And based on what I saw, I gathered the farmers did too. I didn't even see one shepherd out there. And no one, I tell you, was keeping watch over those flocks by night! 

But one day while walking, I passed the ruins of an old castle that had been fought over during the Scottish/English border raids 500 years ago. And right there before me stood sheep number 38. 

After initially wondering if this was what Scottish teenagers graffitied for fun, I came the conclusion that all the numbered sheep in this area had been marked by their shepherd. I had passed many sheep out on the hills without a name or number, but in this case, there was a spreadsheet somewhere with "sheep number 38" written on it. Someone would know and care if that sheep wandered off. 

It was a modern reminder of one of the foundational stories Jesus tells us about the character of God. God is a loving father-shepherd who is always looking out for his flock, ready to go chasing after them if even one of them lost their way. 

This is especially important because it is human (and sheep) nature to lose our way frequently. We're misled by distractions, stubbornness, sparkly things, selfishness, false posts shared on the internet, that sort of stuff. But the story is this: God's heart is one that seeks out, draws back, and restores to community (with God and one another) over and over again. We are not nameless bodies in a sea of crowded humanity, who are forgotten when we wander off.

We are named and known by God, and pursued when we move out of the Shepherd's care and relationship. 
Spray painting these sheep was a helpful way to notice if any were missing. Perhaps Jesus would have used spray paint if it were available to him at the time?

Probably unnecessary.

Maybe the fact that we are created in God's image can serve as our own spray paint: a reminder that we are known and seen and belong to a caring shepherd. I don't know. But I do know that Jesus reveals God's core character, and it is a character that knows you deeply and sees you as his own. It's a character that will set out after you to help bring you back into restored relationship and not out wandering alone, where it's easy to fall into (and cause) real harm. 

Are there places that God has been pursuing you, inviting you back into a land of care and love? You may have to turn around a little to notice that the Shepherd is right there, out in it with you to bring you home. Are there areas where you have distanced yourself from others? Little spots where you've lost your way? I don't know why it can be so hard to admit that we lose our way regularly and need to be drawn back..... especially because Jesus tells us that the Shepherd is overjoyed, not angry, at finding and restoring the wanderer.

Knowing that I'm marked and known by God (and that God knows even the hairs on my head, as Jesus says in Luke 12) is a reminder that God is always excited about reunion. Are you feeling a little alienated from God and others as you look around? It's ok. You are known, loved, and pursued. But your presence is missed in the beautiful kingdom that Jesus is shepherding us all toward. There is so much joy awaiting you in the turning. 

Jesus, if I have forgotten that you know me and have numbered me as your own, bring me back toward wholeness. 

Peace,
Keith

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