Meditations from Zion

John 10:2-3a
“The man who enters by the gate is the shepherd of his sheep. The watchman opens the gate for him…”

Apparently I have missed the importance of the role of the watchman in this metaphor before. There are two people involved in the care of the sheep who are in their pen: the shepherd who leads them (this depiction is based on Eastern tradition where shepherds “lead” and “name” individual sheep compared to Western practice where shepherds “drive” no-name sheep herds), and the watchman who “opens the gate.”

Some commentaries say the watchman is God, the Father, but that is unclear. Other commentators merely discuss the historical explanation that most sheep pens had a servant that stayed by the gate to watch and fight off intruders, whether human or animal. Actually, the idea of a gatekeeper has been adopted in our culture, but in surprising ways.

How often have I struggled to get past the “gatekeeper” at a doctor’s office in order to speak to the doctor? How often has the secretary or receptionist in a variety of different offices, prevented access to the person I really needed to see? These gatekeepers protect the people inside from unnecessary interruptions while being troublesome and daunting to the rest of us. Supposedly, there are various ways to “get past the office gatekeeper.” Generally, one needs a “key” or “password” or “abbacadabra” to pass. In some cases, people have managed the techniques of befriending or schmoozing the gatekeeper. In any case, the gatekeeper watchman cannot be ignored.

Some years ago I did some digging about my name, Irmgarde. I was surprised to discover that it can mean “guardian of a small enclosure.” As a mother, I can see this easily applied to my family. As a supervisor, I can see it applied to my staff. But I think I have limited the scope of this meaning. Many of us have not taken our turn at the gate.

One of my favorite films is March of the Penguins, particularly the section of the movie when the females leave the males to guard the eggs. In those cold, cold weeks, they circle up and the males alternate duty on the outside of the circle where it is coldest. They all work the outside edges at least once.

There are times when each one of us must step up to the job of watchman at the gate. We cannot always expect someone else to do it. Who’s at the gate today?