somewhere

Nothing is always or forever, and only now and then is StAndrewsBay smooth and flat as glass, nary a ripple. A small boat just sped by, setting up a wave from its tiny wake, otherwise, nothing. 62°F and 86% my perfect Florida morning, but may be as high as 88° today. Wind 3 mph may stir the Bay surface a bit before I look up again.

With three boys sprinkled into my life along the way, I’ve been the father of girls about each of whom I’ve been nigh unto insane with love, worry, fear and adoration, look around and she’s gone. In all directions I’m back to the beginnings of my life, from 7H looking out and down on where I began. Two of us now, back to two of us.

Wednesday now, so-called Good Shepherd Sunday coming up as usual the Fourth Sunday of Easter. The gospel reading for Easter4A is John 10:1-10 (NRSV)

Jesus said, “Very truly, I tell you, anyone who does not enter the sheepfold by the gate but climbs in by another way is a thief and a bandit. The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep hear his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice. They will not follow a stranger, but they will run from him because they do not know the voice of strangers.” Jesus used this figure of speech with them, but they did not understand what he was saying to them.

So again Jesus said to them, “Very truly, I tell you, I AM the gate for the sheep. All who came before me are thieves and bandits; but the sheep did not listen to them. I AM the gate. Whoever enters by me will be saved, and will come in and go out and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.”

Although the gospel writer is unclear (at least in English) whether Jesus is the gate, the gatekeeper, or the shepherd, here is one of the I AM sayings that are a mark of Jesus in the Gospel according to John. I AM ἐγώ εἰμι God said to Moses, אֶֽהְיֶ֖ה אֲשֶׁ֣ר אֶֽהְיֶ֑ה He said further, thus you shall say to the Israelites, אֶֽהְיֶ֖ה has sent me to you (Exodus 3:14). 14 καὶ εἶπεν ὁ Θεὸς πρὸς Μωυσῆν λέγων· ἐγώ εἰμι ὁ ὤν. καὶ εἶπεν· οὕτως ἐρεῖς τοῖς υἱοῖς ᾿Ισραήλ· ὁ ὢν ἀπέσταλκέ με πρὸς ὑμᾶς. (Ex3:14 LXX). 

Thus (and although the gospel is Greek and the Jews of that day used the Greek septuagint) for his Jewish audience, the Gospel according to John has Jesus proclaiming blasphemously of himself, “Very truly, I tell you, אֶֽהְיֶ֖ה the gate for the sheep. All who came before me are thieves and bandits; but the sheep did not listen to them. אֶֽהְיֶ֖ה the gate. Whoever enters by me will be saved.” He has thus in their ears committed the capital blasphemously that leads to the cross. Easter 4 of course is not the Sunday this slant will be preached, that’s a Lent message. Easter 4 it’s the shepherdness, but then I’m not preaching.

Magnificence of the morning overwhelms me. Can’t decide whether to buy a motorcycle or take up skydiving.

Photo. passing 7H at 7:20 last evening: picking up her tug, Lauritzen Line vessel Maple Fortune 589x93 arriving to load wood pellets for Immingham. 

Breakfast, crabmeat on whole wheat toast.

DThos+ somewhere in +Time+