A Christmas meditation on Ezekiel 34
There are no shepherds
For God’s people any more
There are shepherds abiding in the fields
Looking after their sheep by night
But where are the shepherds of Israel?
There are wheelers and dealers in a palace
In Jerusalem,
An upstart dynasty, dysfunctional family
Tearing and devouring the people,
As Ezekiel complained.
Playing games of purpled hubris,
Squabbling and making friends with
The invading Roman;
Giving Salome the Baptist’s head
Because her dancing pleased
And her mother was a monster
There is a king and a kingdom – Oh yes!
Stand to attention as his chariot sweeps by!
He has his soldiers who are very good at killing children
And his intelligence service is not above average:
They did not notice a new bright star in the sky
Or if they did, they had no wise man’s curiosity about it.
At least when a direct question was asked: Where is the new king?
They found something in their archive though they did not understand it
And left finding the truth to foreigners.
But the king was interested in the answer,
Not because he had respect for the truth,
Not because he wanted to see a good true king in Israel,
But because he did not need Machiavelli to teach him that
He should dispose of a rival in his littleness
Not giving time to grow.
So the shepherds abided in the fields by night,
Sidelined into symbolism,
Ineffectual.
And the rulers were no shepherds of the people.
So it is back to basics, back to the beginning,
What is there to work with?
Nothing more than a child, a new fragile life,
And ever again, there it begins:
There was born a baby
Who grew up to be a Man
Saw the crowds around him
As sheep without a shepherd
So he had compassion
And put them in working groups
And fed them
In the feast of God the king.
But that was only the beginning,
And the rest he left to disciples:
‘You give them something to eat’.
So being called to be shepherds,
Don’t celebrate Christmas like sheep.