Wine, Wool and the Honeycomb

I've been reading like crazy lately. Maybe it's due in part to the fact that I've realized there's a big gap between what I think I know and what I actually know; and reading what other people have discovered about God and about life helps bridge that gap a little. Maybe it's also due to the fact that my husband studies from the time we get E in bed until the time I put myself to bed, so otherwise I'm bored (and watching movies alone gets old fast).

We got a free book at Catalyst last week, Scouting the Divine, by Margaret Feinberg. In it, she illuminates the scripture references to shepherding, winemaking, farming and beekeeping by retelling her experiences of interviewing people who actually spend their lives loving and doing those things.

My favorite so far is her account of spending the weekend with a shepherdess, Lynne - who, interestingly enough did not claim to be a believer. She was open to discuss the parallels between scripture's account of Jesus Christ as the Shepherd of mankind and the actual job of leading real live sheep, but not intentionally from a Christian perspective. This was intriguing to me.

Below is an excerpt from the book, a passage that really marked me, as the author beckoned me to consider some of the things God was trying to communicate to us through using the title, the "Good Shepherd."

"The sun dipped below the fiery horizon, leaving a faint glow of rose and tangerine in the sky. Lynne and I sat in the field with the sheep. At one point, the smallest lamb, Swan, who had watched us all day, dared to break from her mother and head towards Lynne. The shepherd extended her palm, wiggled her fingers, and spoke the lamb's name. Swan hesitated and then came forward to experience the gentle touch of her shepherd for the first time.

Lynne withdrew her hand. Swan stepped forward, wanting more. With a swift one-armed move, Lynne grabbed the lamb and held her. Swan melted into her shepherd's arms.

'Once they respond to my beckoning I have them forever,' she said as Swan rested her tiny head in the palm of Lynne's hand.

Lynne sounded a lot like Someone I'd been reading about."