Psalm 23: The Year of The Sheep

Sermon last Sunday was eye-opening. This is indeed the sheep year, and there's nothing more fitting than to ponder upon the Sheep.

The Bible says that we are all like Sheep and Jesus, the Good Shepherd.

¹ The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.
²     He makes me lie down in green pastures,
he leads me beside quiet waters,
³     he refreshes my soul.
He guides me along the right paths
    for his name’s sake.
⁴ Even though I walk
    through the darkest valley,^[a]
I will fear no evil,
    for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
    they comfort me.

⁵ You prepare a table before me
    in the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil;
    my cup overflows.
⁶ Surely your goodness and love will follow me
    all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the Lord
    forever.

I've always really liked this psalm because it's so reassuring and so comforting. But the way pastor interpreted this psalm was one that I've never considered before.

1) Green pastures, quiet waters

We would naturally think that sheep like the green pastures and quiet waters. At the same time, the fact may be that these places are possibly their most hated places. Green pastures are flat pieces of open land which will render them helpless and most vulnerable should predators appear. Sheep are lost and doomed without their shepherds. Without the shepherd protecting them, they are dead meat. So where is their favourite place then? Needless to say - the sheep pen aka HOME. This is why all of us feel the most comfortable at home. The moment we step out of our sheep pen, we are exposed to all sorts of danger. Like the disasters in 2014, danger is lurking everywhere once we step outside. But that's life. It's not possible for us to be locked up in our houses, and not to mention super unhealthy. So we have to take risks and step out of our comfort zones. But if we have knowledge that we are protected by our Shepherd, it can bring down our anxiety level by manyfolds, which is why we can "lie down in green pastures" and enjoy the quiet waters fear.

2) Rod and staff

I think sheep are the very epitome of bimbos and himbos. They have a brain but they are not wired to be smart. They are, in fact, known to be stupid. Which is why they are so reliant on their shepherds. A valley is made up of a up slope and a down slope. When sheep pass through a valley, they will follow their Shepherds up the slope and when they are about to take the down slope from the valley's peak, they start to panic because they think their Shepherds are missing! That really made me smile just imagining the scene. So the long staff and rod that Shepherds carry are the signs to the sheep that "Hey, I'm just right in front of you, don't worry. Even if you don't see me, you'll be able to see my rod and staff and that's the sign that I'm right there with you. DO NOT FEAR." So when we get through the ups and downs in life, I think we should take a page out of this scenario and see that our Shepherd is right in front of us, leading us in every step of the way.

3) Perpetrators

In this life, it's not possible to have everyone like us. We will have our fair share of hatred and possibly even so-called enemies. But because we have a Shepherd who loves us so much and is willing to give up His life just to protect us from harm, why do we have to fear these people? He will prepare a banquet in front of our perpetrators and we will be able to toast them and tell them "Nananipoopoo, you cannot catch me" because our cup of blessings is overflowing. "Do not fear those who kill the body but are unable to kill the soul; but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell." (Matthew 10:28)

It was an eye-opening sermon. I thank God for this timely reminder to start off 2015. So I can truly say and experience this: "The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing."(v1)

2014 was such a loaded year, in so many ways, in so many meanings. I'm probably not going to miss 2014 all that much because I believe everything happens in its own time and 2015 will have its fair share of events and memories. So moving on.

Starting the new semester next week. I have had the luxury of a full 2 month holiday and I am not complaining. Well maybe the fact that I have to go back to craziness is a little lot bit daunting after the long hibernation. But life's gotta do what it's gotta do.

I've been watching lots of vlogs on Youtube of late.. and that has made me wonder about why the addiction fascination.

1) We attempt to spice up our otherwise mundane lives through other people's seemingly more exciting lives.

2) We are busybodies wanting a glimpse into other people's lives.

I personally think I belong more to the 2nd category, because I'm just busybody like that. I like to see what people eat and do, and how people live; especially overseas, because it provides a glimpse into their culture as well, although there is of course the danger of overgeneralizing. And, looking at other people's lives also provide some sort of an alternative lifestyle. Like how I enjoy watching travelogues because it allows me to experience another country that I've never been to and/or never will. It's like living through the eyes of another. And I quite enjoy that experience tbh.

There used to be this commercial where this guy is in a cinema watching something, while the other movie-goers are all in deep sleep around him. Turns out that the "movie" was a playback of his life. The bottomline: how boring is your life? I used to think about this commercial all the time.. what if my life story was made into a movie? Would anybody even want to watch it? I don't think so. That realization hasn't really spurred me into doing anything more in my life right now but I would want to be more active in my older years. Not for the eyes of others but to make meaning in my own life and not to waste this life given to me.

And I see the influence bloggers and Youtubers (vloggers) can make in this world. I think if people want to make the world a better place or convey an important message, there's nothing more powerful than social media. Thinking from another perspective, I think it's equally powerful to know that you have a few thousands of followers or subscribers who diligently watch your videos and read your blogs. You'll be more likely to be committed to what you're doing and to be more conscious to practise what you preach. For example, if I announced to my 10 thousand odd subbies that I'm going on a diet, I have technically brought forth 10 thousand odd witnesses and am accountable to them. There is indeed power in numbers and the mass comm.

Ripples of Life.

Who am I to judge? That was the question my Self posed to me yesterday, ever so randomly. The sins of those I judge are the very sins of mine too, are they not? Am I judging in love or am I judging in spite? Love is always the issue at the bottom line. 

I get scared when I think about those mortal beings who I rely on so heavily for my moods. The fact is that people always let down and always get let down. Why am I pinning all my hopes on them, those unsteady pieces of pebbles in my path? Why can't I remember to shift my gaze on the Rock that is standing unwaveringly at the end of the road instead? I'm not a social creature. I've never been good with people. And I felt that acutely recently, feeling utterly alone amidst the hustle and bustle. Scanning familiar faces with a blank mind.

What do I need to do to serve people? No, the question is how. Lord, teach me how I should serve the very people of whom I'm so afraid. 

I haven't met you yet but I'm scared of you...

And holidays are coming to an official end soon. After a luxurious 5 months of break, I think it's about time I did something constructive with that degree worth 5 years of my life, if nothing more. It's going to be school all over again but this is gonna hurt.. because it's a lesson in the School of Life. Nothing more humbling than that. 

Teach me how to serve,

Teach me how to love.