"You Can't Shepherd Who You Don't Love"

At their ordination, every priest is examined by the Bishop, who reminds them of the gravity and nature of the call they are about to accept and the vows they are going to take. 

As a priest, it will be your task to proclaim by word and deed 

the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and to fashion your life in 

accordance with its precepts. You are to love and serve the 

people among whom you work, caring alike for young and 

old, strong and weak, rich and poor. You are to preach, to 

declare God's forgiveness to penitent sinners, to pronounce 

God's blessing, to share in the administration of Holy 

Baptism and in the celebration of the mysteries of Christ's 

Body and Blood, and to perform the other ministrations 

entrusted to you.

In all that you do, you are to nourish Christ's people from the 

riches of his grace, and strengthen them to glorify God in this 

life and in the life to come.

Reflecting on those words, it isn’t what’s found in these promises that surprises me; it’s what’s intentionally omitted. At no point in the vows am I called to lead. I am called to proclaim, fashion, love and serve, care, preach, declare God’s forgiveness, pronounce God’s blessings, baptize, celebrate the Eucharist, and perform other ministrations. I am to nourish people and strengthen them. Now, one might argue that living into those promises means being a leader, and while that is true, I think that there is a more appropriate word for what a priest is called to do: shepherd. 

Most people in our modern society have no concept of shepherding as a vocation. I admit that I didn’t grow up on a farm. I’m the city kid who, while on pilgrimage in Spain, referred to the animals I saw in the distance that I didn’t recognize as “fuzzy pigs”! Shepherding is a unique act that implies a deep level of care and devotion to the ones being shepherded. Shepherding can be a form of leadership, but it goes deeper than simply telling people what to do or pointing in a direction and declaring, “That’s where we’re going.” While shepherds can be seen walking ahead of their flocks, they are often behind them, exhorting and encouraging them to move forward. Shepherds can also be found walking alongside the flock, modeling what it looks like to walk the path, as well as stepping away from the flock to find the lost sheep who have strayed. 

"Shepherds can also be found walking alongside the flock, modeling what it looks like to walk the path, as well as stepping away from the flock to find the lost sheep who have strayed."

At the heart of priestly ministry is the call to love every member of the flock equally. The temptation for clergy, like any human being, may be to develop favorites or avoid members of the body who are difficult to get along with or have caused them harm. There are just as many personalities as there are people in the Body of Christ. And that means that not everyone will get along with everyone. However, the task of the priest is to step beyond the societal boundaries of race, gender, socioeconomic status, age, and so on, so that they can serve everyone. It is why, while the Shepherd loves the flock and is called to give their life for the flock, they have been set aside from the flock. They can’t be a part of any clique or faction. 

One of the most powerful realizations I have had as a priest is that I cannot shepherd those whom I do not love. Notice I said love and not like. It doesn’t matter whether I personally like someone or if they like me. What matters is that I am called to love them as Christ has commanded us to love one another, with charity, grace, and sacrifice. I have worked with priests who struggle to love members of their congregation because those individuals have tried to undermine their ministry, spread lies about them, and even insulted them. And while no one has a right to hurt us, we are still called to love them. 

I recall a woman who made it her mission to undermine every aspect of my ministry. She allowed a difference of opinion to become an opportunity to sow conflict in the congregation and spread lies about me. When she fell ill and ended up in the emergency room, someone called and told me that she might be near death. Even though she hurt me, even though I had no desire to be in relationship with her, I went to her bedside and did my best to comfort her. I was the last person she expected to see. And as she lay there intubated and unable to speak, we exchanged a look that affirmed that no matter what had occurred between us, those things needed to be put aside so that the presence of God could be let in. While that moment didn’t heal the fracture in our relationship, I am convinced that it transformed us both. 

If we are dedicated and take the time to love our flock, we discover that the people we are called to love and serve are, underneath it all, 100 percent human. They have a story. They have fears, insecurities, and struggles. They have prayers that they utter only to themselves. And they carry heavy burdens that are almost crushing them. The more we practice seeing those we serve as human beings made in the image of God and in need of God’s grace, the easier it will be to love them. I only caught a glimpse of that woman’s burdens and the challenges she was facing. It helped me to step out of my hurt and serve her. 

Shepherding souls takes every bit of our love and patience. There are people who, no matter what we do, will not change. I wonder if Christ, the great shepherd, struggles with us in the same way. We turn away from God’s love. We sin and hurt one another. We refuse to follow the path laid before us that will lead us to eternal life. And still Jesus loves us. It is why every priest is called to model their ministry on Christ, who was willing to die for the people who rejected and crucified him. We aren’t Christ. We are human beings with feet of clay who struggle with our faith. But we are still called to embody Christ. 

As priests, we must remember that not swimming alone means that the ministry of the Church sets us aside to serve our congregations by shepherding them. We work with them to serve them. We equip members of the flock to be servant leaders. And we remember to look to other shepherds for guidance. 

If we are struggling to love those whom we serve, we should remember that the one who shepherds us, who has called and equipped us, has loved us even when we have been rebellious, unlovable, and defiant. Christ has loved us with an everlasting love, not because of our worthiness but because of his grace.