Scripture: John 10:14-15
[Jesus said,] “I am the good shepherd. I know my own sheep and they know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father. I give up my life for the sheep…”
Thought for the Day: In the last two weeks, I have been engaged in some very interesting theological conversations that directly or indirectly related to the above passage. In times of crisis, there can be for some people a renewed intimacy with God. The God of scripture and history is no longer trapped on the pages of a text or those years gone by. God becomes much more real and connected to our current reality. In two of those conversations, people spoke about the idea of God knowing our names, and how that had previously been more of a pretty religious precept. But now, it clearly communicated the relationship God desires to have with us – a relationship rooted in love and concern for us as individuals and as a community. The Gospel writer uses another I AM statement to reveal a God who wishes to find a way of entering our lives and circumstances. This is not a distant or detached God, but One who takes on flesh and stands alongside humanity. This is a God who knows us by name.
Prayer: O God who knows us and loves us like a parent, continue to find ways of drawing us more closely to you. Amen.
