Thursday May 3^rd, John 10: 12 The hired hand is not the shepherd who owns the sheep. So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it. 13 The man runs away because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep. The hired hand, who is in it only for the money, turns and runs when the going gets tough, and leaves the sheep at the mercy of the wolves. It is all too common a sight. Pension funds being raided or underpaid, CEO’s with multi-million bonuses while the corporations they lead getting bailed out by the working poor.  Corporations moving offices off shore to avoid taxes and regulations, while holding contracts paid by the taxes of you and I.  We see union busting and blaming while corporate downsizing provides the cash flow to keep the bonuses and stock prices going.  All is done in the name of making a buck. All is done at the expense of the sheep.  With the push of the tea party the sheep are even cheering on the slaughter of the sheep.  Jesus calls us to a different image, one where there is a loving concern for the sheep, a desire for what is best for the many, not just profitable for the few. Being a child of God is more than just a day job, it’s a committed life. The commitment is to the Creator, the Creature, and the Creation, not the self.  It all goes back to the garden and that tree of knowledge thing.  It is not about us singular, it is about us as the whole family of God.