Shepherds and Laborers: A Prose Poem on Spiritual Duty #1176

Shepherds and Laborers: A Prose Poem on Spiritual Duty In the shadow of prescription drugs, more lethal than guns or speeding cars, there whispers a truth — the Gospel of Jesus Christ, a sanctuary mightier than the halls of clinics and hospitals. Do you hold this knowledge? Do you let it take root in your belief? Consider the shepherd, not the entertainer of goats, but the feeder of sheep — from the humble grass, wool emerges. The shepherd's care is singular, undistracted by the capers of goats, for their antics are none of the sheep’s concern. And then, the poignant query echoes from the depths of Matthew: "Lord, when did we see you hungry, or thirsty, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or imprisoned, and did not help?" The solemn reply reverberates, "As you did not for the least of these, you did not for Me." Such words, a mirror reflecting our omissions, our oversights in love. "The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few," so prayed the Lord of the harvest. He sends us forth, as sheep among wolves, into a world ripe with grain yet scarce of hands to gather. Behold, we are called, not merely to survive but to serve, to transform the bountiful fields into baskets of hope. This is our charge, this is our mission: to live deeply rooted in faith, expansive in love, unwavering in service — the echo of the Gospel in every step we tread. Written by Steven G. Lee (May 4, 2024)