Easter Sunday 4 B (29 April 2012)

By the Gospel of today (John 10.11-18) we get the design of a good shepherd:
1) to lay down his life for his sheep (the sheeps are the aim of his action !!!)
2) to know the own sheeps and they know the shepherd (mutually dependent).
3) there are other sheeps (not of his fold) but he has to care for them as well -
                                                                       until all are one flock!

Following John Jesus designs himself as the true shepherd for all Christian people -
and John is in favour of this idea - me too!

But we live in 2012 / The situation is more complicated; I try to explain:

A) We are multi-shephered people!
As Namibians: we have the State as our secular shepherd.
As a Republic we have accepted the Constitution and we have "chosen" people to "play State" (Parliament, Cabinet, Court, civil servants etc...)
1. Everyone as a secular Citizen is also a secular shepherd executing his rights and duties against the Namibian flock.
2. The secular Media have to inform us what really happen (a special service today!)
3. The secular Parliament has to create Laws in the best interest of all.
4. The secular Ministers have to execute the laws for the well-being of all.
5. The secular Court has to protect the Constitution and the Laws.
We have decided the State as a secular shepherd is to look after the well-being of his flock; after the decision we have to demand it.
As Baptised: we have Jesus Christ as our religious shepherd. Und we know the Church is the executing body. Religion means to deliver the energy of God.
As Personality: we have our own chosen personal shepherd; somebody who cares
for my personal well-being.
As Professionals: we have different shepherds.... (what an idea: the employer may be a secular shepherd: caring for the well-being of his fold)

B) We are people in the balance?
We not only have to reconcile in our situation all these "shepherds"...
Today the normal situation is: every person is on the one hand "sheep": he/she is cared for...  on the other hand he/she is "shepherd": caring for...
In the waves of life we have to find the balance... and to find out when, where which role we play: "cared for... or caring for..." This awareness is crucial.
The sheep may never forget - it is in the other situation a shepherd; and hopefully
the shepherd is aware, he/she is in other circumstances sheep!

C) In our Christian heritage we see both position as good! The shepherd-position means to do a service; to take over, to accept responsibility; the sheep-position means I'm the aim of the service - but also: I'm depending on...  (no sheep no shepherd!)
Because everyone of us is also in a shepherd-position and in a sheep-position,
what do we learn from the Gospel for the balance of our doubble-position?
Many times we have learnt from the Gospel, the one who is put into authority
is put in Service (on duty). "Lay down his life" in case of emergency.

As we have learnt about service we may now also learn about interdependence!
This second point we have not enough considered: In our mutual dependence
we have to get known each other. This interdependence must lead us to every effort
to get knowledge about the situation of the other side. The real good effectiveness of the service depends on the knowledge of the sheep-situation - on the other side: only if the service rendered is transparent for the sheep, the effect will be fruitfull.The sheep has to know who and why the service is rendered and most important the service consists of what?
We hope the private and public service-delivery-industry in Namibia may learn  something from the idea of the good shepherd: the carer for... and the cared for...
may know each other better and better!