Episcopal Church of Our Savior

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The Rev. Ajung Sojwal Where do I Belong, Year C, Sunday April 29, 2007 John 10:22-30 In this glorious season of Easter, it is rather humbling if not a little disappointing to read about Jesus’ disciples (you and me included) being equated with sheep. A “herd mentality” is most closely associated with the behavior of a flock of sheep, and in our highly individualistic American society it is quite offensive to compare anyone to a sheep or a flock of sheep. In folklore and proverbs sheep tend to be the mindless followers, the constant prey for wolves and other predators, the defenseless and the weak, utterly dependent on the protection and guidance of the shepherd for survival. In other words, everything that a self –reliant American like you and I don’t want to be. It is especially offensive for those of us who are immigrants to think that we are likened to the proverbial weak and mindless sheep. After all, we left our countries in order to make a new life here depending on our ability not only to work tirelessly, but also because we believe in our resourcefulness. Many of us did not speak or are still not comfortable with the English language, many of us landed here with just a suitcase and a few dollars in our pockets, yet today we sit here in this sanctuary with some standing and recognition in society. So, naturally we take great offense when we hear people say things like, “all Chinese people look the same,” it sounds too much like the sea of indistinguishable white fluffy four legged creatures huddling together in some enormous sheep farm in Western Texas or California. As part of the American dream we all like our distinctiveness in this world. The emphasis on individualism is propagated and sold so aggressively in this country that I can no longer presume that a son or a daughter will take it as a compliment when I say to them that they look like either their mother or their father. Where I come from, woe to the whole family if anyone even suggests that one of the kids don’t look like either the mother or the father! But such is our society, that the emphasis is for the community or the group not to define you. It is two weeks now since the 23-year-old Cho Seung Hui went on a killing rampage, killing thirty-two people plus himself at Virginia Tech. Like the rest of the world, I am horror-struck by what happened. I have read many explanations on why he might have turned out to be the cold-hearted killer he was but nothing really makes much sense. In the many aspects of piecing together who this young man really was, one of the things that has been nagging my mind regarding this young man is the story of how he sometimes put a question mark for his name. This was very odd indeed given the fact that for most of us the first thing that we are taught to write is our name and so signing our names come as easily or as thoughtlessly as breathing. It was even more intriguing to read that the press had to actually consult a Korean to find out the exact rendering of Cho’s name in the Korean way, which in turn made the Asian-American community to question as to whether the media was putting too much emphasis on the “foreign-ness” of Cho. In other words, nobody wants to be associated with any kind of responsibility for Cho’s incomprehensible act of violence. And when I bring up the example of Cho today, I do not in any way presume to understand why he did what he did. But, I would certainly want us to ask ourselves what it means for us to see and understand ourselves in the light of the Resurrection of Christ and in the light of Christ being our Shepherd. Today’s Gospel passage is very much about identity, not only the identity of Jesus but also the identity of Jesus’ disciples. Jesus is asked about His identity in the temple portico by the Jews, “How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Messiah, tell us plainly.” and Jesus answered them, “I have told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in my Father’s name testify to me.” Identity has always been a very important aspect of being human, which is why we place such importance in picking a name for a newborn. In many cultures even today, a name encompasses the hopes and expression of an individual’s life and personality. When the Jews approached Jesus, they had many preconceived notions about The Messiah, and Jesus obviously did not fit their expectations and so they ask Him to clarify His identity. Like many times before, Jesus does not give them a direct answer, instead He brings up the matter of belonging. Identity and belonging I believe are very closely linked, and it might be that we couldn’t have one without the other. Jesus tells the skeptical Jews that, “…you do not believe, because you do not belong to my sheep. My sheep hear my voice. I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one will snatch them out of my hand. What my Father has given me is greater than all else, and no one can snatch it out of the Father’s hand. The Father and I are one.” By His association with the Father, Jesus establishes the very important aspect of His identity, that of being the Son of God. For us to come to this sanctuary Sunday after Sunday, we acknowledge our belief in the person and work of Jesus as the Son of God. But, what should we make of our being likened to sheep? In likening us to sheep Jesus is in fact getting to the very core of our being. The purpose here is not the emphasis of mindless following, nor the vulnerability or the homogeneity of a flock of sheep, rather, like sheep we all long to seek and find the very source of our belonging. To know that I belong somewhere is to know who I am. Despite our great emphasis on individualism, our instinct is to flock together like sheep. We may not realize it, but even our great aspiration of individualism is in fact our desire to belong to the society that puts such importance on the individual. Jesus understands so well that core within us, which longs to be recognized and affirmed as being precious and worthy within the midst of the herd. That is why He says, “I know them” as in, each and every individual sheep or person, that is why Jesus told the parable of the shepherd that went looking for the one lost sheep. His point is clear, He has account of all his sheep. In trying to find out more about what characterizes a sheep, I found out that a sheep will become agitated if it is separated from the group. That it is banding together in large groups that protects sheep from predators because predators will go after the outliers in the flock. In the attempts to understand how and why Cho killed, a forensic psychologist said that, “mass killers tend to be aggrieved, hurt, clinically depressed, socially isolated and, above all, paranoid.” Who knows what finally drove Cho to kill; but as a society we must be willing to ask ourselves what we have done or not done to bring about such tragedy, to bring about such isolation and paranoia in an individual that he could not hear one single reassuring voice to lead him back to the safety of the herd, and to tell him that he belonged. We must also be brave and honest enough to ask ourselves if Cho was a victim of our society as much as the thirty-two people who were his victims. We cannot hide behind questions of why God allowed something like this to happen, nor can we dissociate ourselves from such a tragedy by highlighting the murderers’ “foreign-ness” or his “American-ness” by those of us who are immigrants here. Because of the tremendous capacity of this country to absorb people from all over the world and its constant struggle to identify elements that shape us as a people, there is even more reason and urgency to listen and hear the voice of our one true Shepherd, who is Jesus Christ. It is the voice of the Good Shepherd that told Peter, “feed my lambs” “tend my sheep” and again he said, “feed my sheep.” It is the power and glory of Jesus’ Resurrection that makes us not only the sheep of His flock, but also gives us the authority and the ability to be shepherds like Him. Just like we know that we cannot help but look like our parents, to be considered like Jesus is to know and understand our rooted-ness in Him. Jesus profoundly knows our desire to be identified as a precious and worthy sheep among the herd, and because He understands this deep desire and need to belong he would never want us to put a question mark for our name. Jesus said, “I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd gives His life for the sheep. But the hireling, he who is not the shepherd, one who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees; and the wolf catches the sheep and scatters them.” To be like Christ is to realize that we cannot allow ourselves to live with the mindset of a hireling, along with Christ we too take responsibility to care for the sheep. That is the promise of the Resurrection, that we are no longer servants, slaves or hirelings, but that we are co-heirs with Christ of God’s eternal Kingdom. We will continue to live with tragedy and senselessness in this world for a long time to come; but in Christ there is hope, hope of forgiveness and healing, hope of being able to tend the sheep like the good shepherd, hope of belonging, and finally hope of justice and peace. May we never get tired of listening for the voice of our Risen Lord Jesus. Amen.

The Rev. Ajung Sojwal

Where do I Belong, Year C, Sunday April 29, 2007
John 10:22-30

In this glorious season of Easter, it is rather humbling if not a little disappointing to read about Jesus’ disciples (you and me included) being equated with sheep. A “herd mentality” is most closely associated with the behavior of a flock of sheep, and in our highly individualistic American society it is quite offensive to compare anyone to a sheep or a flock of sheep. In folklore and proverbs sheep tend to be the mindless followers, the constant prey for wolves and other predators, the defenseless and the weak, utterly dependent on the protection and guidance of the shepherd for survival. In other words, everything that a self –reliant American like you and I don’t want to be. It is especially offensive for those of us who are immigrants to think that we are likened to the proverbial weak and mindless sheep. After all, we left our countries in order to make a new life here depending on our ability not only to work tirelessly, but also because we believe in our resourcefulness. Many of us did not speak or are still not comfortable with the English language, many of us landed here with just a suitcase and a few dollars in our pockets, yet today we sit here in this sanctuary with some standing and recognition in society. So, naturally we take great offense when we hear people say things like, “all Chinese people look the same,” it sounds too much like the sea of indistinguishable white fluffy four legged creatures huddling together in some enormous sheep farm in Western Texas or California.

As part of the American dream we all like our distinctiveness in this world. The emphasis on individualism is propagated and sold so aggressively in this country that I can no longer presume that a son or a daughter will take it as a compliment when I say to them that they look like either their mother or their father. Where I come from, woe to the whole family if anyone even suggests that one of the kids don’t look like either the mother or the father! But such is our society, that the emphasis is for the community or the group not to define you.

It is two weeks now since the 23-year-old Cho Seung Hui went on a killing rampage, killing thirty-two people plus himself at Virginia Tech. Like the rest of the world, I am horror-struck by what happened. I have read many explanations on why he might have turned out to be the cold-hearted killer he was but nothing really makes much sense. In the many aspects of piecing together who this young man really was, one of the things that has been nagging my mind regarding this young man is the story of how he sometimes put a question mark for his name. This was very odd indeed given the fact that for most of us the first thing that we are taught to write is our name and so signing our names come as easily or as thoughtlessly as breathing. It was even more intriguing to read that the press had to actually consult a Korean to find out the exact rendering of Cho’s name in the Korean way, which in turn made the Asian-American community to question as to whether the media was putting too much emphasis on the “foreign-ness” of Cho. In other words, nobody wants to be associated with any kind of responsibility for Cho’s incomprehensible act of violence. And when I bring up the example of Cho today, I do not in any way presume to understand why he did what he did. But, I would certainly want us to ask ourselves what it means for us to see and understand ourselves in the light of the Resurrection of Christ and in the light of Christ being our Shepherd.

Today’s Gospel passage is very much about identity, not only the identity of Jesus but also the identity of Jesus’ disciples. Jesus is asked about His identity in the temple portico by the Jews, “How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Messiah, tell us plainly.” and Jesus answered them, “I have told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in my Father’s name testify to me.” Identity has always been a very important aspect of being human, which is why we place such importance in picking a name for a newborn. In many cultures even today, a name encompasses the hopes and expression of an individual’s life and personality. When the Jews approached Jesus, they had many preconceived notions about The Messiah, and Jesus obviously did not fit their expectations and so they ask Him to clarify His identity. Like many times before, Jesus does not give them a direct answer, instead He brings up the matter of belonging. Identity and belonging I believe are very closely linked, and it might be that we couldn’t have one without the other.

Jesus tells the skeptical Jews that, “…you do not believe, because you do not belong to my sheep. My sheep hear my voice. I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one will snatch them out of my hand. What my Father has given me is greater than all else, and no one can snatch it out of the Father’s hand. The Father and I are one.” By His association with the Father, Jesus establishes the very important aspect of His identity, that of being the Son of God. For us to come to this sanctuary Sunday after Sunday, we acknowledge our belief in the person and work of Jesus as the Son of God. But, what should we make of our being likened to sheep?

In likening us to sheep Jesus is in fact getting to the very core of our being. The purpose here is not the emphasis of mindless following, nor the vulnerability or the homogeneity of a flock of sheep, rather, like sheep we all long to seek and find the very source of our belonging. To know that I belong somewhere is to know who I am. Despite our great emphasis on individualism, our instinct is to flock together like sheep. We may not realize it, but even our great aspiration of individualism is in fact our desire to belong to the society that puts such importance on the individual. Jesus understands so well that core within us, which longs to be recognized and affirmed as being precious and worthy within the midst of the herd. That is why He says, “I know them” as in, each and every individual sheep or person, that is why Jesus told the parable of the shepherd that went looking for the one lost sheep. His point is clear, He has account of all his sheep.

In trying to find out more about what characterizes a sheep, I found out that a sheep will become agitated if it is separated from the group. That it is banding together in large groups that protects sheep from predators because predators will go after the outliers in the flock. In the attempts to understand how and why Cho killed, a forensic psychologist said that, “mass killers tend to be aggrieved, hurt, clinically depressed, socially isolated and, above all, paranoid.” Who knows what finally drove Cho to kill; but as a society we must be willing to ask ourselves what we have done or not done to bring about such tragedy, to bring about such isolation and paranoia in an individual that he could not hear one single reassuring voice to lead him back to the safety of the herd, and to tell him that he belonged. We must also be brave and honest enough to ask ourselves if Cho was a victim of our society as much as the thirty-two people who were his victims. We cannot hide behind questions of why God allowed something like this to happen, nor can we dissociate ourselves from such a tragedy by highlighting the murderers’ “foreign-ness” or his “American-ness” by those of us who are immigrants here. Because of the tremendous capacity of this country to absorb people from all over the world and its constant struggle to identify elements that shape us as a people, there is even more reason and urgency to listen and hear the voice of our one true Shepherd, who is Jesus Christ. It is the voice of the Good Shepherd that told Peter, “feed my lambs” “tend my sheep” and again he said, “feed my sheep.” It is the power and glory of Jesus’ Resurrection that makes us not only the sheep of His flock, but also gives us the authority and the ability to be shepherds like Him. Just like we know that we cannot help but look like our parents, to be considered like Jesus is to know and understand our rooted-ness in Him. Jesus profoundly knows our desire to be identified as a precious and worthy sheep among the herd, and because He understands this deep desire and need to belong he would never want us to put a question mark for our name. Jesus said, “I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd gives His life for the sheep. But the hireling, he who is not the shepherd, one who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees; and the wolf catches the sheep and scatters them.” To be like Christ is to realize that we cannot allow ourselves to live with the mindset of a hireling, along with Christ we too take responsibility to care for the sheep. That is the promise of the Resurrection, that we are no longer servants, slaves or hirelings, but that we are co-heirs with Christ of God’s eternal Kingdom.

We will continue to live with tragedy and senselessness in this world for a long time to come; but in Christ there is hope, hope of forgiveness and healing, hope of being able to tend the sheep like the good shepherd, hope of belonging, and finally hope of justice and peace. May we never get tired of listening for the voice of our Risen Lord Jesus. Amen.