A colleague sent this link to me and it was written by Author E. Swedenbourg (1688-1772) The author identified the meaning of the Shepherd/s as identified in the bible.
"A shepherd of the flock is one who exercises the good of charity, must be obvious to every one, for this is a familiar figure in the Word of both Old and New Testaments. He who leads and teaches is called a shepherd, and those who are led and taught are called the flock. He who does not lead to the good of charity and teach it, is not a true shepherd; and he who is not led to good, and does not learn what is good, is not of the flock. It is scarcely necessary to confirm this signification of shepherd and flock by quotations from the Word; but the following passages may be cited."
"They who lead the flock to the good of charity are they who gather the flock; but they who do not lead them to the good of charity scatter the flock; for all gathering together and union are of charity, and all dispersion and disunion are from want of charity." [1]
I have likened the daughter of Zion to a comely and delicate woman; the shepherds and their flocks shall come unto her, they shall pitch tents near her round about, they shall feed every one his own space (Jeremiah 6:2, 3).
My first experience of charity was with my grandmother when I was a child, she would feed the tramps in the street and take them home for tea. Also my Father dressing up as Father Christmas to deliver presents from his union to the children living in orphanages. My Father did a lot of work for charity, especially organizing events and fund raising. Late in life he was also a JP (magistrate) and our door was always open to the poor that required justice to be done.
The creative industry that I worked in also held annual charitable events, in the 70's we engaged in organization to raise money for those that had retired and required a home where they could be looked after due to ill-health.
My next involvement with charities was in the 1980's when I was compelled from the heart to organize events for them. It included Scope, MS and we helped Cancer Research too. When a key figure in the community organizes charitable events, it then engages the community to be more charitable themselves.
In addition to the above, in the 90's we shared our six bedroomed house with the poor, we were financially blessed to be able to provide a roof, warmth and feed those that required feeding in more ways than one. My son and I lived with complete strangers, we adopted many of them and some became friends.
After the house was sold, I was then given a charitable mission by the Holy Mother with the children and our first website launched in 2000 was based upon it. The mission with the children lasted for five years before I was asked to draw a line under it. The integration of dedication and devotion to the will of God had been completed.
The following year the mission with Israel and the Middle East began and I received no wages since that time. In this experience a shepherd becomes a charity themselves because a good shepherd sent from God does not work for money anymore, so they're dependent on the charity of the people to support them. In the early days of this mission, I was fortunate that I was able to live on a small inheritance to enable me to continue with the work of God. However, that was gone in 2009. we are now at the mercy of the people to help us. The prophecies of Malachi express how God feels about this reality and those that do not help it.
According to Swedenbourg those that do not help are not part of God's flock, in other words those that do not give are not with God because God is a great giver. Those that are not with God scatter the flock of God instead of unite them in charitable works and good deeds.
At the end of 2008 we also launched the ADOPT A STRANGER campaign with Oannes. Charity can come in many forms. Charity is all about giving from your heart because your heart compels you so. Only those that are compelled by the heart are charitable to those that require it. Although there have been a couple of people that God asked directly to help us. All that we do, we do for God and his will for the children and their future.
If you have not already made a donation to this blog please do so.
The Adopt a Stranger campaign is for all of you to promote to
assist the people to engage in good deeds.
May the good will of God be done
1. http://www.biblemeanings.info/Words/Activity/Shepherd.htm
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