Shepherd Virtues

Happy almost Christmas, friends!

Advent is one of my favorite times of year, particularly because of the rhythms and traditions we have laid and grown into as a family. We do not practice them perfectly—as in this year when I was sick for nearly all of Advent—but we strive to show up because the traditions bring joy and unity to our home.

One such tradition is the familiar Jesse tree, and in recent years we have loved using The Joy of Advent by Rebecca and Stephen Grabill as our guide because of the multi-sensory approach to the Jesse tree. In addition to Scripture and reflection, each day also includes music to pray with (they provide links you can watch on YouTube).

When we listened to The Wexford Carol as part of one of the Jesse tree days this year, I was taken into a space of prayer and wondering, particularly these lyrics:

Near Bethlehem did shepherds keep
Their flocks of lambs and feeding sheep;
To whom God’s angels did appear
Which put the shepherds in great fear.
Prepare and go, the angels said,
To Bethlehem, be not afraid;
For there you’ll find, this happy morn,
A princely babe, sweet Jesus born.

If you have a couple of minutes (you can share it with little ones around you or sneak into a closet to listen alone), I invite you to listen to the hymn here. Maybe it’s my Irish roots, but this version just sweeps my heart up with beauty.

When I heard the above verses, I thought to myself, “I would want to be in that group of the first to know Jesus was born.”

And then, “Shepherds were the first ones the angels came to… What disposition of mind, body, and heart do I need to cultivate to be like a shepherd?”

At this point, my kids probably know I’m going to start a small theological chat with them when I say, as I did that day, “Hey guys, I have a question I want to talk about.”

And I asked them: If God sent angels to first announce Jesus’s birth to shepherds and shepherds were first to greet and adore the Lord, how can we become more like shepherds? What are shepherds like and why do you think God sent his angels to them first?

This is what we came up with. You can imagine these words of wisdom coming from these kids:

Shepherds are humble and care for all the sheep they have. We, too, can care for the people—big and small, family and friends—and living things entrusted to us.

Shepherds work hard. We, too, can put forth an honest effort to work diligently and with purpose in our daily tasks, whatever they may be.

Shepherds were the least expected people we think God would have chosen. God is showing that even people who others don’t think are important can have miraculous things happen to them from God. We, too, can trust that God works in our lives in mysterious ways, often quiet and unseen.

Shepherds were ready for God to be their king…not like another king who didn’t want another king to come. We, too, can continue to cultivate a love for our Lord and for eternity past Advent.

We can (almost) always leave it to the smallest among us to see the most clearly. This is from my littlest (well, second to littlest…my littlest would contribute something like: my shoes, cars, I’m hungry, go see Papa):

God is like a shepherd who takes care of us. That’s what Jesus is going to be—the Good Shepherd.

God comes to the shepherds because they are people after his own heart. Equipped with the virtues of a shepherd, we too can practice being people after God’s own heart.

And like the shepherds, we will get to see him when he comes…yes, at the end of time, and also, every day in the waiting.

Happy final days of Advent and Merry Christmas!

Christ’s Peace,

Caitlan