For you I'll be a sheeple

I know it's hard to believe but there's one case, just one, where I don't mind being a "sheeple". I am the God of Israel's "lackey". (That's a euphemism for something else. ) I suppose I should add that by God I don't mean what my priest, a TV preacher, popular religious culture, or that conservative pundit or the liberal religious book writer says God says. If it smells fishy, reeks of violence, or doesn't jive with what I see of God in Jesus, I throw it out.

So maybe I'm not a sheeple. I'm not a sheeple, but I like shepherd hymns. Today was Good Shepherd Sunday and we had lots of them. Shepherds, shepherds, and more shepherds. Lots of sheep metaphors. If I was a more sensitive person I'd be insulted. Well, more sensitive or a little stupider.

The reason being a sheeple is a bad thing most of the time is that the "shepherd" of the sheeple is usually a bad person. It's usually a guy like Hitler, or Stalin, or George W Bush. (I'm bad, I know--W isn't half as smart as the first two--he just treated the constitution like toilet paper.) People who end up getting called sheeple are usually letting some guy with a charismatic personality tell them what to do because they're too scared to think for themselves. I don't see it that way with Jesus but let me go back a bit and talk about God the Father.

If you look at history, the God of Israel is different in important ways. He doesn't eat people, for one. Human sacrifice is a big no-no. If he destroys the earth in a flood, it's not because the folks were too noisy and keeping him up at night, it's because they were just too nasty for words---wicked in other words. The second wife has to be treated just as nice as the first wife if you have one. You aren't supposed to screw your sister--pretty standard these days but talk to the Egyptians about birth defected pharaohs and you'll see why this is important. The other important thing about the God of Israel is that you can argue with him and live to tell the tale.

Surprised? Don't believe me? Look at Abraham. Abraham haggled with God over Sodom and Gomorrah. (See my earlier post--The Little Man and the Great Big God) Look at Jonah. Yes, the Lord hunted him down like the dog he was and hounded him until he did what he was supposed to do but even after he gave in and didn't like the result---he could say that and not end up a soot mark on the mountain side. The Smite Button on God's computer rarely gets used. It takes him a long time to get really angry. A long time. A long time and you have to actually do something really bad.

You know why I love God so much? Why I love Jesus? I'm going out on a limb here and I'm going to sound incredibly simple but it's because he first loved me. He took notice of me. A complete nobody. A speck. A freckle. I'm not even anybody's mother and he took notice of me. If I think something's wrong, I can say something. If I have a problem, I can talk to him. The least I can do in return is listen.

Oh yeah, shepherd songs: Click here if you want corny music to accompany it.

My Shepherd will supply my need:
Jehovah is His Name;
in pastures fresh he makes me feed,
beside the living stream.
He brings my wandering spirit back
when I forsake his ways,
and leads me, for his mercy's sake,
in paths of truth and grace.

When I walk through the shades of death
his presence is my stay;
one word of his supporting grace
drives all my fears away.
His hand, in sight of all my foes,
doth still my table spread;
my cup with blessings overflows,
his oil anoints my head.

The sure provisions of my God
attend me all my days;
O may thy house be my abode,
and all my work be praise.
There would I find a settled rest,
while others go and come;
no more a stranger, nor a guest,
but like a child at home.