A tragic week at sea and not a good shepherd in sight

The piece below is the 'Thinking Anew' column in today's Irish Times.

Michael Commane
Anyone who is keeping abreast of the election campaign in the UK will have been struck by the number of times politicians are seen sitting down with the weakest and most fragile in the community. They are all promising that they are going to fight their corner when elected. In the same vein, it seems as if billions are going to be thrown at the National Health Service. Not one campaigning politician would dare to suggest that she or he was willing to make drastic cutbacks to the state health system.

But none of that is unique to the UK. Politicians worldwide will always tug at our heartstrings and assure us that they will take care of those in greatest need.

The recent industrial dispute about minimum working hours in this country echoes another hot topic in the UK election. When the public hear of injustice and unfairness, there is always going to be an outcry in favour of those who are weakest and most vulnerable.

When a homeless man died close to Dáil Éireann last Christmas, there was uproar across the State, and politicians and civic leaders were forced into action.

Moral

Probably the moral of the story is that it is incumbent on all of us to keep the pressure up, so that the plight of the poorest and weakest in society is always highlighted. 

In tomorrow’s gospel, Jesus compares himself to the good shepherd. And what makes a good shepherd so special is that he or she knows how to care for all the sheep. No exceptions are made. Indeed, if exceptions are to be made, they must always favour those most in need. And not just when the stories make the news. The good shepherd is always on hand, irrespective of newspaper headlines.

“I am the good shepherd; / I know my own / and my own know me.” (John 10: 14)

Jesus clearly tells us that he, the good shepherd, will lay down his life for his sheep.

It’s interesting that this gospel is read during the Easter season when we are still celebrating the great Christian feast of resurrection. The Jesus who compares himself to the good shepherd is now the risen Lord.

In Cologne Cathedral, on Friday, April 17th, more than 1,400 people gathered to pray for the 150 people who lost their lives in the Germanwings aircraft that crashed in the Alps on March 24th. Many of the people who spoke at the service stressed how important it was for us to look out for one another, to show care and solidarity.

Cardinal Rainer Maria Woelki, the Archbishop of Cologne, reminded those present that on Good Friday Christians recalled the words of Christ: “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” The cardinal spoke of God’s love for us and said that it is our faith that God’s love wins out, God’s love is everlasting.

Appalling conditions

In times of suffering and pain, watching the appalling conditions that so many experience, it’s not easy to talk about God’s love. In order to talk about God’s love, we have the responsibility to play our part in righting the wrongs of the world.

Watching the people come ashore at Lampedusa and thinkng of their plight, surely one is forced to question a global system that allows people to experience such suffering. And Lampedusa is not an isolated example of human suffering. Who has been there to protect those who have drowned, those who have been thrown overboard? Not a good shepherd within shouting distance. It’s the survival of the fittest, where economics has the trump card.

The good shepherd sets a good example for all of us. Staying silent is simply not good enough. We all need people to care for us, to keep an eye out for us. And we, in turn, are challenged to keep an eye out for those in need.