Daily Thought for Monday 27th April 2026
“My other sheep have to eat the grass you trample and drink the water you muddy.”
Ezekiel 34:19
Analogies for now
Fiona Burnett
The Bible seems to be full of references and stories around sheep, shepherding and tending flocks. As a farmer’s daughter who spent many an Easter holiday in the lambing field, these references make sense, but I wonder how they resonate in a modern society? Today most people have no experience of feeding a flock or searching for a lost sheep. And the closest we get is maybe a farm visit or a documentary on TV.
Contrast this with the prophets and, indeed, Jesus who were talking to people with intimate pastoral experience and could relate to these analogies. Ezekiel’s images of eating the best grass but wasting so much by trampling what they didn’t eat, muddying the water, butting aside the weaker sheep to get the biggest share of the food, will all have been everyday experiences and examples.
But how does this speak to us in our modern society?
It begs the question, if Ezekiel was speaking to us today, what images would he use? Instead of talking about the sheep trampling down what they don’t eat, would he have drawn attention to the amount of food in our country that goes to waste each day?
Instead of talking about muddying the water, would he have reminded us about the consequences of polluting our waterways?
And instead of talking about rescuing his flock, would he be urging us to build a fairer society where the stranger is welcomed and the needy satisfied?
Ezekiel’s words are as relevant today as they were in his time, even if society has moved on. They are a call to action to make this God-created world a better place for us all to enjoy. That is something that we all can do, wherever we call home.
Shall we pray?
God of this amazing planet, make us work with your plans, not against them. Amen.
Fiona Burnett is an elder in the parish of Upper Tweeddale and a worship leader in West Tweeddale congregation. She also convenes the Presbytery Mission Committee.