A truck pulls up
by the side of the Birren Road.
It’s an American-style truck,
open-backed
and with four spot lights on the roof.
The driver toots the horn,
gets out of his truck
and stands patiently by the roadside.

Immediately
sheep start to drift down
the slopes of Mullaghmore
and trot across the Birren Road
where they stand patiently
beside the truck driver.
After about five minutes
a flock of about fifty sheep has gathered
and I realise
that this is not just an ordinary driver –
this is a shepherd!

This shepherd is not at all
how I imagined.
I see no staff, no sheep dog
and he’s certainly a far cry
from the shepherds that Jesus described
two thousand years ago.

But this shepherd
is every bit as committed to his sheep
as the shepherds Jesus spoke about
and rain, hail or shine
this shepherd will drive up
to the slopes of Mullaghmore
to tend to his flock.
That hasn’t changed
in two thousand years

Today Jesus remains the “good shepherd”
tending to us, his flock,
carrying us when we are weak
and leading us when we are strong.

The question is –
when Jesus stands patiently each day
and calls each of us by name
do we take the time to listen
and to answer his call?

© Claire Murray, 25th March 2018