This week's Gospel reading is John 10:11-18. Jesus refers to himself as "the good shepherd", and distinguishes his role from that of the "hired man". Jesus explains that as the good shepherd, He would lay down His life for His sheep, while the hired man would run away and not protect his sheep.
Isn't that our experience? That the people who protect us the most fiercely do not do it for pay. For instance, our family members protect us with an unmatched zeal and passion. Our families of orientation or our families of procreation, or our chosen families, protect us not on account of money, but rather on account of love.
(And, as I always say, God creates families based on our need for each other and love for each other. Municipalities do not create families. Priests do not create families. Even the Church does not create families. God creates families directly, with no intermediaries.)
But even beyond our families, think of our police and our firefighters. Yes, they get paid to protect us, but when they are running toward the sound of gunfire or running into a burning building, their motivation is not money; it is to protect another human life. Firefighters and police are cut from different cloth and their instincts to protect us are based on real caring for other humans.
Jesus gave us that beautiful example of protecting each other out of love and caring. Let us try to follow that example.
Peace be with you.
- The Older Brother
