Article February 20, 2006 Issue

A WALK OF PEACE with the shepherd of LOVE

BY MARTA GREENWOOD

IN THE DAYS FOLLOWING THE LONDON BOMBING ON JULY 7, 2005,

I turned so many times to the Bible and to the 23rd Psalm in particular for spiritual inspiration. Although there are many translations of this beloved psalm, my favorite one is Mary Baker Eddy's, in which she used the term divine Love to identify God (see Science and Health, p. 578). There are so many ways in which this psalm of Love can help us, and here are a few that have been especially meaningful to me.

In the Bible, the psalm begins, "The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want." I especially love the word my. The Lord is not just any shepherd, one of many. He is mine. And I belong to Him. To me, the most wonderful thing this verse shows is the relationship the Shepherd has with me, and with everyone else. God is every individual's shepherd, and He knows each of His sheep.