Keeping watch

[pdavelee]

Whenever I ask the man in a couple how things are going, he usually forms his response by checking whether his partner happens to be angry with him or not. If she’s mad at him that day, things are not going well. If she isn’t made, things are going OK. That reveals such a shallow analysis. It’s as if men don’t actually think about the true condition of their relationship…they just glance at the countenance of their partner the way one glances at the flag on a golf course to see which way the wind is blowing.

I think we pastors do that a lot too. At least I do. I miss so much of the danger that our congregation faces because I am not always watching as intently as I should. I get lazy and start to just glance at the flock or listen for a moment – and if there seem to be no signs of crisis, I resume my distraction-filled guard duty. Am I really protecting my flock if, through negligence and laziness, I don’t see anything more than a casual observer would see?

One thing that really struck me is how proactive shepherds are in keeping watch over their flocks. I tend to be so reactive. I put out the brush fires that trip the smoke detectors. I oil the hinges that won’t stop squeaking. When I was younger I often referred to policemen as “journalists with guns� because they usually come after a crime has taken place, and basically start to interview people and clean up the mess. But recently I read an article about how New York City is making a massive investment in preventive anti-terrorism measures – using technology and techniques that help them spot trouble before it happens. That’s more the way a true shepherd keeps watch.