"The Gate of the Year"

John 10:1-10

‘Very truly, I tell you, anyone who does not enter the sheepfold by the gate but climbs in by another way is a thief and a bandit. The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep hear his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice. They will not follow a stranger, but they will run from him because they do not know the voice of strangers.’ Jesus used this figure of speech with them, but they did not understand what he was saying to them. So again Jesus said to them, ‘Very truly, I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep. All who came before me are thieves and bandits; but the sheep did not listen to them. I am the gate. Whoever enters by me will be saved, and will come in and go out and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.  

__________

Introduction

In her 1908 poem "The Gate of the Year," Minnie Louise Haskins opens with the following lines: 

'God Knows'
And I said to the man who stood at the gate of the year:
"Give me a light that I may tread safely into the unknown". 
And he replied: 
"Go out into the darkness and put your hand into the Hand of God.
That shall be to you better than light and safer than a known way". 
So I went forth, and finding the Hand of God, trod gladly into the night.
And [God] led me towards the hills and the breaking of day in the lone East.

In Haskin's poem, the reader assumes the role of the one who places their hand into the "Hand of God." Yet placing our hand into the hand of God is more complicated than it sounds as we look at the inhumanity that consumes us (especially all that has happened as we are barely a quarter of the way through the year). If Jesus is the shepherd who calls to us by name, how do we follow and avoid the mistake of letting a thief or stranger take our hand? 

Jesus Vs. Caesar

The author of the Gospel of John juxtaposes two notions of a good shepherd. On the one hand is Caesar, who maintains secure borders and provides for the well-being of some of the flock (those who are non-Roman citizens receive little if any assistance). And on the other hand, Jesus brings healing in wholeness when the powers that be (that promised security and greener pastures) fail to live up to their false promises. Does any of this sound familiar? At the very least, we should see how even an ancient text like this breathes truth into our world today. 

Talking about thieves, bandits, and strangers, we find a multitude who present themselves as the good shepherd, but in reality, they are Caesar who comes with false promises. Think of all the political pundits and politicians who tell us that if we kept the "X" group out (the poor, those with mental health concerns, those who are gay, those who are non-conforming, those who are “illegal” persons), things would be better for you. All the advertisements and reels on social media tell you that if you aren't doing "this," you're missing out on a successful (not happy) life. There are countless figures and forces in our midst that we choose to take the hand of (over the hand of God) because we think it will be better for us, not better for the flock, but for us and us alone. 

“The Gate of the Year”

The lines in Haskin's poem strike me, "And he replied: 'Go out into the darkness and put your hand into the Hand of God. That shall be to you better than light and safer than a known way.'" Another poignant reminder to us as we hear Jesus speaking to the group gathered around him. With the compelling voice of the Empire and Caesar ringing in our ears, all we need to do is put our hand into the hand of God, which is better than any walls, borders, or any other promise of security offered to us. As Jesus calls to us and provides the hand of the good shepherd, we have an obligation to keep watch over the gate to the sheepfold. 

Yet instead of the gate acting as a force that keeps out those deemed "undesirable" or "unworthy," it is a gate thrown open to all who hear the call of the shepherd who calls to them by name. Unlike the gate of Caesar, which limits the flow of goods and services, the gate of heaven, the gate of the kin-dom of God, says that there is plenty, there is enough, and all are welcome. Therefore, we must shift our mentality and spirituality to thrive as people of faith and a church (and community). For too long, Caesar (and bandits) have held us in bondage with fear of the other and "what ifs," but the truth is that if we stopped heeding their call and instead followed the good shepherd, we would find ourselves walking "towards the hills and the breaking of the day."

Hearing the Call

Listening to Jesus' call takes work (if we are to shift out the truth of God's lifeway from the ways of death). I remember reading a story about a bitter roommate who was tired of their roommate's dogs, and so to "prank them," they learned to imitate the owner's voice. The first few times, the dogs would come running only to have a look of confusion. Then, after a few more times, the dogs stopped coming because they knew it wasn't the owner calling them. When we can discern who we are following (Jesus or Caesar), we can begin the worthwhile task of following. 

Some voices tell us we will never be good enough. Some voices tell us no matter how hard we try, we will end up failing. Some voices tell us to give us, throw in the towel, and go home. But through the flurry of all these voices, there is still one that rings out, always calling us back, and that is the voice of the Good Shepherd. And for every voice that tells us that we will never be good enough, the Good Shepherd says, "You are beautiful the way you are." For every voice that tells us we will fail, the Good Shepherd says, "Don't worry; I'll be with you when you try again." And for every voice that tells us to give us and go home, the voice of the Good Shepherd pierces through and says, "I came that they [you] may have life, and have it abundantly." 

Conclusion

It is my prayer for each and every one of us to hear the voice of God calling us by name. It is my prayer for each and every one of us to hold tight to the hand of God, who leads us to an abundant life, and reject the hand of Caesar. The opportunity is still at hand for us to turn things around, to make it so that all (including us) can live in the abundance of divine love. So spend some time unplugging from the myriad of voices that call to you and listen to the good shepherd who calls out your name. And once you hear and take hold of God's hand, let it fill you with enough life and love to share so that no gate and no thief or bandit can say there isn't enough or that it is impossible; for nothing is impossible if we follow and heed the call of our living God.