As we journey together through Lent, Christians throughout Columbia will be sharing their own beautifully written personal meditations. Each will be accompanied by a corresponding scripture reading, and be linked to that passage in the Holy Bible. If you would like to join us on Columbia’s Lenten journey, please submit your personal meditation by email. Especially meaningful submissions will be printed. Let us continue our Lenten journey, day by day, to its glorious culmination on Easter Sunday.
Scripture reading: John 10: 1-18
“The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. The gate keeper opens the gate for him and the sheep hear his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.”
One of the places we stayed while I was walking in Spain had originally been part of a monastery. It had been designed to host travelers on the road. Inside the gate, on the grounds, was a small flock of sheep. I like animals and wanted to get close to the sheep. They wouldn’t have a thing to do with me. They would not come when I called, and if I approached them they scattered and ran. They did not trust me. They were used to having people in the area, but did not trust those who came; they only trusted their shepherd. They would go to him and follow him. I talked to the shepherd. He said he took care of the sheep, but that mostly he was simply there. The sheep knew him, and would follow the one they knew.
When I thought about it, I realized that I act in a similar way. I follow whom I know, whom I trust. I’m not going to follow someone just because I believe that they know where they are going. They may not be going where I want to go, or they may not be traveling safely. It’s only when I know and trust a person that I will follow him. That is when I have faith in him.
I think that Jesus understood this truth, and understood that we could and would follow Hi because we knew Him. He had been there with us all along, in our deepest heart, journeying with us, rejoicing and morning with us throughout our lives. And so we follow Him, and so He becomes our way, our gate through which we enter into a closer union with God. We get close because He is already there, waiting for us, waiting with us.
Karen McLeod
Columbia, South Carolina
You might also like to read:
- Bible Verse of the Day
- Daily Bible Guide
- Growing in Christ
- Bible Study Tools Online
- The Jesus Walk Bible Study Series
A discussion of today’s Lenten meditation is encouraged. If you would like to participate, please feel free to write a comment in the space below. There are many different outlooks and interpretations of scripture passages and, the more we share, the more we learn.
Sharon is a member of the Community Church of the Midlands that meets at Seven Oaks Community Center at 200 Leisure Lane in Columbia and is a frequent participant, with her husband Douglas, at Trinity Episcopal Cathedral located at 1100 Sumter Street in Columbia.
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If you enjoyed this article, you can find more at Sharon's Columbia Biblical Studies Examiner homepage.
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