John 10

The Good Zookeeper by Chelsea Page

Let’s try revisiting all this shepherd imagery from Jesus in John chapter 10 and put it in a term we can more easily relate to. Jesus said, “I am the good zookeeper. The good zookeeper lays down their life for their animals. 12 The hired hand, who is not the zookeeper and does not own the animals, sees the thief coming and leaves the animals and runs away—and the thief snatches the animals and sets them loose all over town. 13 The hired hand runs away because a hired hand does not care for the animals. 14 I am the good zookeeper. I know my own and my own know me, 15 just as God the Parent knows me and I know God the Parent. And I lay down my life for my animals.”What do you think? Does it just sound silly? Or is there a ring of truth in it for you? I know for me certainly, I would describe most parish congregations including Parkview less as a unified, bonded herd of sheep and more as a loud, diverse, colorful zoo.

I think that on Earth Day, it’s poignant to remember how many animal species in the wild we have lost, which now only survive in zoos or through captive breeding. I bet that every one of you has had an experience of the natural world that you cherish, a moment of profound connection, like watching an astounding meteor shower or an eagle soar silently by you. A member of our congregation reminded me this week that twenty, 30, 50 years from now, these kind of awe-inspiring relationships with the environment may not be possible. Habitat loss, changing climate, pollution and waste . . . these are all concerns and real problems. So as we hear our scripture readings in a new way today, let us ask, what would it be like if we cared for every creature on earth and under heaven, with the same self-sacrificing love with which God and Jesus care for us?

Jesus says I am the Good Zookeeper. Let’s explore what this means by imagining, what if he had said I am the Bad Zookeeper? Does that more readily conjure images in your mind? I’m not really sure I know how to judge a well-run zoo but I could certainly spot a bad one; the animals would be dirty and hungry and living in small cages. Or think of a badly-managed circus where the animals are forced to perform when they’re sick and are trained using punishment. Jesus is very clear that in God’s eyes, there is a big difference between Good Shepherd behavior and Bad Shepherd behavior. When it comes to leadership of those who are vulnerable, there is no middle ground with God. When Jesus says “I am the Good Shepherd,” he is referring to the prophesy of Ezekiel, where God says to the leaders of Israel, “You slaughter the fat sheep, but you do not feed them. The weak you have not strengthened, the sick you have not healed, the injured you have not bound up, the strayed you have not brought back, the lost you have not sought, and with force and harshness you have ruled them.” (34:3-4) And what alternative does God offer? God says, “I myself will be the shepherd of my sheep, and I myself will make them lie down. I will seek the lost, and I will bring back the strayed, and I will bind up the injured, and I will strengthen the weak, and the fat and the strong I will destroy. I will feed them in justice.” (34:14-16)So here we have the Good Shepherd and the Bad Shepherd. Only God is the truly Good Shepherd. The rest of us can focus on having good shepherd behaviors. Rola and I have something rather unusual in common, a special bond for us as roommates in the city, that we both lived for years in close proximity to sheep and goats. I was a goat owner and it’s a lot of work and expense! Caring for animals has taught me just how vulnerable they are. They are dependent on humans to provide for their needs and make good decisions for them; they don’t have the power to protect themselves from abuse or neglect. This is why Jesus says in this chapter of John, “The thief only seeks to destroy. I came that they might have life and have it abundantly.” Just as animals are at the mercy of their owner either being good or bad, human beings are often vulnerable to their leaders as well. After all, our basic needs are the same as those of animals: we need freedom to move and express ourselves, the provision of basic needs and the company of our own kind, and protection from violence. When our needs are not met, the Bible says that God does not blame us, but rather blames those who are charged to care for us. Remember Jesus was not just the Good Shepherd, he also became the Lamb—a sheep who was himself abused. The special innocence of animals (especially sheep) can help us see ourselves the way God sees us, as deserving of protection and care.In fact, it’s worthwhile to remember on Earth Day that we human beings literally are animals. We are creatures in the primate family and members of the Earth ecosystem. It falls, we fall. There can be no abundant life which Jesus promises to us on BOTH sides of eternity, without a living and abundant Earth ecosystem to support us on this side. In this gospel, Jesus talks about belonging to God and God knowing him, and about us as sheep belonging to him just as he as shepherd fully knows us. This relationship of mutuality, which Jesus calls Good, echoes the wisdom of indigenous peoples, that the earth doesn’t belong to us, but we belong to the earth. May this deep relationship give us deep joy this Earth Day.