Serenity

"You have made us for yourself

and our heart is restless until it rests in you."

Augustine, 398 CE



Photo "The Shepard" by  Floriana Barbu

The shepherd-poet David describes this God-given rest from anxiety and fear through the metaphor of a sheep quietly grazing under the watchful care of the shepherd.

He makes me lie down in green pastures,

He leads me beside quiet waters,

He restores my soul.

Psalm 23:2-3

Pastures and streams provide the essentials - food and drink - for sheep. After grazing in the meadow sheep lie down to ruminate – their appetite contented and their security protected by the vigilant shepherd. It’s a picture of shalom.

If the early morning grass is dew-laden, the sheep have no need for streams, but the sun in Palestine can burn off the dew quickly and then sheep need additional water.

The shepherd leads his flock to still waters where it is easy for them to drink. Satisfaction, tranquility, peace.


This could easily be agrarian fantasy or social escapism. But the song is very aware of the threats and dangers of life and goes on to speak of enemies and the shadow of death. But experience has taught the singer to trust the protective care of the Shepherd. She rests even in storms.

In the hectic demands of public life, Jesus too found quiet places in the early morning to breathe the calm of his Father’s presence “in a solitary place where he prayed.” Jesus coached his disciples to do the same.

Healthy life involves rhythms of public activity and solitude; intense pressure and restful space, action and prayer. The Shepherd leads his sheep from the one to the other, and the smart sheep trust the shepherd’s timing; they let the Shepherd lead.

We are restless sheep, achievement-driven or pleasure-obsessed; both modes exhaust our souls. God’s quiet stream calms our spiritual restlessness. We will find sustained relief only through Jesus’s rule in our lives. He says,

"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.
Take my yoke upon you; learn from me and you will find rest for your souls.
Matthew 11:28-29