The story is told about a German Shepherd and a Sheep who are on a date. Their romantic conversation eventually turned into an argument:
German Shepherd: “What do you mean I’m too controlling?!”
Sheep: “You herd me.”
Like sheep, some humans are known to have a “herd mentality.” This concept has many names in Psychology: mob mentality, pack mentality, or crowd psychology. “Herd mentality” refers to the tendency of individuals to blindly follow the crowd, subjugating their individual thoughts and feelings and adopting the thoughts and actions of the group.
So, to be compared to sheep is not a compliment because sheep are easily fooled. They are hardwired to blindly follow each other even if they are led to dangerous situations like near a cliff or predators.
Does following Jesus as the Good Shepherd imply that we are blind followers, doing away with critical thinking and ceasing to be rational beings?
In today’s Gospel (Jn 10:1-10), Jesus says, “Whoever enters through the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. The gatekeeper opens it for him, and the sheep hear his voice, as the shepherd calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has driven out all his own, he walks ahead of them, and the sheep follow him, because they recognize his voice” (Jn 10:2-4).
While sheep can be easily fooled, they have a natural ability to recognize the voice of their shepherd. As Jesus says, “They will not follow a stranger; they will run away from him, because they do not recognize the voice of strangers” (Jn 10:5).
Today, many people are led astray because there are bad shepherds who mimic the voice of the Good Shepherd. Using social media as their platform, these bad shepherds bombard the sheep with “truths” that are actually false. They even use paid surveys to paint a good image of themselves.
How, then, do we recognize the voice of the Good Shepherd in the midst of the voices of bad shepherds in social media?
Although this Sunday is called Good Shepherd Sunday, the focus of this year’s Gospel, however, is on Jesus as the Gate of the sheepfold. Jesus says, “I am the gate for the sheep” (Jn 10:7). So, we can also call this Sunday as GATE Sunday. And to answer the two questions above, let me use “GATE” which is an acronym for Go, Act, Trust, Exemplify.
GO. Jesus says, “After I am raised up, I will go before you to Galilee” (Mk 14:28). Pope Benedict XVI commented that the phrase “‘go before’ is a typical expression to apply to a shepherd. Jesus, having passed through death, will live again. As the risen Lord, he is now in fullest sense the shepherd who leads, through death, to the path of life” (Jesus of Nazareth, II, 2011, 150-151).
To recognize the voice of the Good Shepherd in social media, we have first to listen to his words in Scriptures and talk with him in prayers. Once we are familiar with his voice, it will be easy for us to discern who is echoing the true words of the Good Shepherd in social media.
So, look at the author of the postings. Is he good? Is he credible? Even if he has many followers and bloggers, what is his character? Fact-check the site.
ACT. In the Second Reading (Acts 2:14a, 36-41), after hearing the Word of God proclaimed by Peter, the people ask him and the rest of the apostles, “What are we to do, my brothers?” And Peter says, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit” (Acts 2:37-38).
Regular reading of the Scriptures and daily prayers imply that we also act on the voice of the Good Shepherd that we have read in the Bible and heard in our prayers. Our actions are to continuously repent and renew our baptismal promises to reject Satan and all his “pomps” or “empty promises” (Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults, 1974, n. 259). “A pompa was a solemn public procession, and in this context the word called to mind the worship of Gentile divinities, the games at the arenas, and all the extravagant display of civilization characterized, and undermined, by wealth and conspicuous consumption” (Nocent, The Liturgical Year, II, 2014, 282). In other words, when we renounce Satan’s “empty promises,” we are renouncing all the paganism around us.
If we have acted on this pledge of baptismal fidelity, we can discern the voice of the Good Shepherd in social media. Check the page and look for labels such as “advertisement.” There are so many ads with catchy photos designed to appeal to our basic instincts like sex and worldly ambitions like power. Life with God, divine life, eternal life in heaven is incomparable to the life of sex, drugs, money, and power here on earth bombarded on us in the internet.
TRUST. As his sheep, our role is to trust our Good Shepherd. The Responsorial Psalm this Sunday is taken from Psalm 23, one of the most popular and beloved of the psalms. The beautiful and seemingly idyllic verses of Psalm 23 tell us to put all our trust in the Good Shepherd.
“Even though I walk through the darkest
valley;
I fear no evil; for you are with me.
Your rod and your staff –
they comfort me” (Ps 23:4).
Like sheep, we can recognize the voice of the Good Shepherd and we follow him. But unlike sheep, we are not blind followers. Christ calls each of us by name and invites us to follow him. But he respects our freedom to say “yes” or say “no.” He even says, “Behold, I send you you out as sheep in the midst of wolves; so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves” (Mt 10:16).
So, in discerning the voice of the Good Shepherd in social media, we should avoid “herd mentality.” We should use “common sense,” which, sad to say, is not “common” anymore. So, let me use another expression, critical thinking. When you see posts that are shared several times, try to be objective. Look at them not through political lens or ideological bias, but ask, WWJD (What Would Jesus Do)? Hold your judgment especially your emotions. Don’t be angry and don’t make personal attacks. Double check the sources before sharing.
EXEMPLIFY. As the “Gate for the sheep,” Jesus exemplifies what it means to be a guardian and protector. The gate is a protective barrier through which sheep must pass to be saved from wolves and thieves. “Whoever enters through me will be saved, and will come in and go out and find pasture” (Jn 10:9).
When thieves could not climb the walls of the sheepfold, they forcefully break in through the gate. And the gate will suffer brutal blows and even be completely destroyed to protect the sheep.
In the Second Reading (1 Pt 2:20b-25), Saint Peter says that Christ’s suffering is an example for us. “Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example that you should follow in his footsteps… By his wounds you have been healed. For you had gone astray like sheep, but you have now returned to the shepherd and guardian of your souls.”
In the agricultural world of the first century, Jesus likened himself into the “gate” of the sheepfold. In this digital world of the 21st century, the equivalent of “gate” would be either “firewall” or “antivirus.” Both of them serve as protective barriers just like “gate” of the sheepfold. All data entering or leaving the network pass through firewall or antivirus to provide cyber security.
Therefore, just as it is necessary to have firewall or antivirus software on our devices, we need Jesus in our life as our “Gate” to protect us from thieves and predators who come “only to steal and slaughter and destroy.” But Jesus came so that we “might have life and have it more abundantly” (Jn 10;10).