The Good Shepherd - Part 1: In the Valley of the Shadow

The shootings this week at Bondi, Sydney have been difficult to process. I have been asked what my views on it are, but I am one to process things slowly. Therefore, I have no wisdom to share. The only wise thing I can do is to turn to scripture, and point to Christ. And that’s what I’ll do today. When we’re writing songs, I encourage you to do the same thing: use Scripture and point to Christ.

Psalm 23:4 “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil…”

The atrocities that were carried out at Bondi this week were evil. I can't imagine the pain of those who have lost loved ones. And the whole Australian community is grieving and reeling from what has happened.

In moments like these, we confront the reality of living in a broken world—a world where evil can strike suddenly, senselessly, and devastatingly. The “valley of the shadow of death” isn't just a nice poetic phrase. It's real. It's here. And it's now.

But as Christians, we don't need to fear evil. Why?

“… for You are with me." (verse 4)

God is with us, and we have come into the care of our Good Shepherd. He is HERE, shepherding us. God, who is Sovereign and created the whole universe, became "with us" in the vulnerability of Mary's womb. He grew up among the other children in his community. He was taught how to drink, to eat, and how to walk—to speak, and to read and write.

He became vulnerable, taking on flesh and bone—to be with us, and to redeem us through His body.

Jesus didn't remain distant from our suffering. He is with us in our pain and He entered into it. He knows what it's like to face evil, to experience violence, to be betrayed and murdered. He walked through not just the ‘shadow’ of death but death itself -to conquer death, so that death would be for us Christians only a “shadow of death”—we will walk through it like going through a shadow, to the other side: eternal life.

Verse 1: "The LORD (Jesus) is my Shepherd."

If He is our Shepherd, that means we are sheep. Apparently sheep are hopelessly dependent animals. They don't survive on their own. That is how we are. We are not self-equipped for life or for eternity—especially not for moments like these.

Jesus said "I am the Good Shepherd" (John 10:14). He is the Shepherd that we need, and he is good. He has our best interests at heart, knowing what they are more than we do.

Sometimes His care doesn't look like we expect. Imagine you are a sheep getting dunked in a vat of sheep dip. You don't know that the water contains insecticides and fungicides that will protect you from disease. You are forced into it. Not only that, but as you are swimming—barely able to keep your head above water—the Shepherd takes his big rod and pushes your head down under the water! "This Shepherd is NOT good, he is drowning me!"

Oh, but He IS good. He is caring for you—knowing what it will take to keep you protected and healthy.

In the aftermath of Bondi, we may feel like we're drowning. We may not understand why God allows such evil. But He is the only True Shepherd (Ezekiel 34). He is the only True Lord and Master of our lives who truly loves us and will take care of us in the wild of the broken world we live in—even when we can't see it, even when it hurts, even in the valley.

Other 'masters' woo and entice us into their fold. For songwriters, these 'lords' could be ‘fortune’ or ‘fame’—including ‘self-fulfilment’, ‘making a name for ourselves’, and ‘proving ourselves’. They could even be gifting, talent, knowledge, or morality. These idols, if we bow down to them as 'lord', promise us everything , but they end up crushing us and hurting those around us. Only the Lord Jesus Christ will never abandon us, never fail us, and will walk with us through every valley.

Let's give ourselves afresh to our Good Shepherd today—especially today.