A shepherd who cares

For more commentary on this week's readings, see the Reflections on the Lectionary page, which includes Rimbo's current Living by the Word column as well as past magazine and blog content. For full-text access to all articles, subscribe to the Century.

This Sunday of words and songs about sheep and shepherds has always challenged me. For most of my preaching life I’ve been in or near a city. Now I live in New York City, where as far as I know even the Sheep Meadow in Central Park has no sheep.

Yet here is an enduring image from Jesus, an image captured perhaps millions of times in our art, our songs, our stories.