By Quentin Davis
Recently, a traveler to Iceland noticed something peculiar: sheep wandering individually across the landscape, a sight they had never encountered elsewhere. Intrigued, they asked, “Why aren’t the sheep traveling in herds?” Someone knowledgeable on the matter explained that these sheep have no natural predators, granting them the freedom to roam independently.
But consider sheep in lands teeming with wolves, lions, or coyotes—places like the ancient hills of Judea or the wild pastures of many parts of the world today. Their survival in such places demands unity. The flock must stay close, moving as one under the watchful eye of a shepherd. Stray too far, and danger strikes swiftly. Isolation invites peril; togetherness is their shield.
This contrast echoes deeply in Scripture. Jesus calls himself the Good Shepherd in John 10:11-14: “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep … I know my sheep and my sheep know me” (New International Version). Unlike hired hands who flee at the sight of wolves, he protects, guides, and gathers his flock. Psalm 23 paints him leading us beside still waters, through valleys shadowed by death, his rod and staff comforting us. We are his sheep, vulnerable alone, but secure in his care.
Yet the Bible reminds us that we’re not meant for solitary wandering, even in safety. Hebrews 10:24-25 urges, “Let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together … but encouraging one another.” In Ephesians 4:16, we are the body of Christ, knit together, each part supporting the whole.
As we approach this table of Communion, let us remember that the bread and cup symbolize not just individual salvation, but shared life in the flock. Christ’s body broken for us, his blood poured out, unites us as one. In a world of predators—temptation, division, despair—may we draw near to our Shepherd and to each other, finding strength in community. Let this meal draw us together, protected and led by the One who calls us his own.
Quentin Davis is a financial planner with WealthWise Financial Group and the associate minister at New Burlington Church of Christ in Cincinnati.
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