The Fourth Sunday of Easter

Getting to Know You
 John 10:11-18

This Fourth Sunday of Easter is informally known as Good Shepherd Sunday. Every year on this Sunday the collect and readings bring to mind the image of Jesus as the Good Shepherd. As we heard, Jesus himself gives us this image in the Gospel passage appointed for this day. “I am the Good Shepherd.” And, as the Good Shepherd, Jesus continues, “I know my own and my own know me.” Those are the words that catch my attention today. I know my own and my own know me.

Think about the process of getting to know someone. And it is a process. Think perhaps of a new neighbor, a randomly assigned college roommate, a new classmate or coworker, a first date. Getting to know someone doesn’t just happen all by itself and it isn’t instant. It is a process that takes some time and work and dedication. It takes intentionality, motivation, purpose to get to know someone else.

There are a number of reasons why we might make that effort, why we might be motivated to do the work of getting to know someone else. Many of the barriers of distrust and difference that separate us from one another disappear when we get to know one another. Or we might offer friendship to someone out of a compassionate sense that they could really use a friend.

Or we can do the work of getting to know someone else just simply because there is always blessing in knowing one another. Getting to know someone else always brings blessings to us. No matter who it is. Even if it is someone who would not normally come within our sphere of friendship; even if it is someone we don’t expect to like. I am always blessed for knowing you. Always.

There are all sorts of literary and cultural associations with this process of getting to know one another. The allusion that I have been absolutely unable to suppress is, of course, from The King and I. Just in case a few of you do not know the story:  Anna, a very proper young lady from England has come to Siam to teach the King’s children. And she sings a song: “Getting to know you, getting to know all about you.” A stanza or two later she sings, “Haven’t you noticed / Suddenly I’m bright and breezy? / Because of all the beautiful and new / Things I’m learning about you. / Day by day.”

Anna is bright and breezy just because she is getting to know the children. Her heart is light; her soul is filled with joy; her life is blessed. Just because she is learning new things about new people in new relationships.

That should be motivation enough, always, to do the work of getting to know other people. But there is added incentive, too, for us as Christians. In the baptismal covenant, we vow to seek the image of Christ in others. Which is to say, as we get to know others, we will discover the image of Christ. Getting to know one another is one way to get to know Christ. Not the only way, but always a reliable way to deepen our relationship with Christ.

I’ve been thinking about this in one very specific context. As I mentioned a while back, I am part of an ongoing exploration between the Episcopal Diocese of Quincy and the Diocese of Chicago about possible reunification. The group that is serving as a joint steering committee had its second meeting yesterday. And one outcome of that meeting was a commitment to work at getting to know one another—to expand the work of the committee from a small group sitting around a conference table talking about canons and procedures and risk management to include a broader effort to spend time together. To get to know one another. I’m looking forward to it.

But this morning’s Gospel and the image of Jesus as the Good Shepherd are about even more than the blessings and grace we receive as we do the work of getting to know other human beings. I think there are at least two reasons we really cherish the image of Jesus as the Good Shepherd. One is the comfort we receive from the assurance that Jesus cares… cares for us, guides us, protects us like a good shepherd. The other is Jesus’ statement that he knows his own. We are known. By God. God has done the work, made the effort, to get to know us.  God has done, and will always do, the work it takes to know each of us.

So there are at least two things to remember: 1) It is always worth the effort to get to know one another. We will be blessed profoundly and simply through knowing one another. And we will grow in our own knowledge of Christ. 2) We are known by God. God is fully invested in knowing us. Knowing us as his own. God always does the work to get to know us.  And God desires to be known and invites us into the process of knowing him better and better.