Stained glass at St John the Baptist’s Anglican Church http://www.stjohnsashfield.org.au, Ashfield, New South Wales. Illustrates Jesus’ description of himself “I am the Good Shepherd” (from the Gospel of John, chapter 10, verse 11). This version of the image shows the detail of his face. The memorial window is also captioned: “To the Glory of God and in Loving Memory of William Wright. Died 6th November, 1932. Aged 70 Yrs.” (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

I began to follow this living Christ in 1972.  Standing alone in the field behind my barracks in San Antonio I looked up and said to God, “I am not leaving this field until I have what they (the people I had met several months earlier at a Monday night Bible study) have.”  In that very moment He was there, within me and I knew it.  This was a new and fresh step in a marvelous, the most wonderful journey any human being can undertake.

But this is a winding road.  The scenery can be breathtaking and heartbreaking in the same moment.  Along the way there have been wonderful companions and stunning surprises.  One constant through those years has been that I often “see” a new truth in the form of a metaphor.   Jesus called them Parables.  We are told that He never spoke to the people without them.  Now a pastor for more than 20 years I have discovered time and again I “see” some truth I am struggling to explain to another in such terms.

In October of 2007 while in Scotland following a wedding of a dear family friend I was staying in a home and one evening I was overwhelmed with the urge to write.  I have journaled my entire Christian life but this was different.  I felt as if it was a command.  But God does not drive but rather leads His children.  He is the Great Shepherd.   Filled with excitement and anticipation, for I know God is Light and only Goodness, I struck pen to paper.  In that moment I felt as if I had closed an electric circuit and power previously unseen flowed from an unseen to a visual world.

Since that moment I have sought to carefully preserve the moments of my life when He speaks in order to lead others to His Light.  Often after a conversation I have scribbled down notes in the notebook in my back pocket or even a napkin on the table after dinner.   What I will place here are these Parables which I believe as long ago are gifts from above intended to guide us safely through this world to our true Home above.

I have been given the gift of a dear friend who has offered to help select and edit these and for this I am profoundly grateful.  None of us lives life alone.  We are surrounded by a vast array of companions in our journey some seen others unseen.  At just the right moment I have been,  I believe, invited by the Father to share these things with others.  All gifts from the Father of Lights and Goodness are intended to be generously shared.

As I begin this part of my journey I invite you, as fellow companions to come alongside.  Whatever you find upon these pages which may profit you I hope you will share as you are led with the hope that it will bring clarity, guidance and hope as we continue ….