Sheep aren’t exactly admired. They’re seen as stupid, dependent, easily frightened, prone to falling into ditches and getting stuck. And they probably don’t smell very good. Sheep stand around all day and eat grass. No sheep has ever been a hero, or written a great poem, or held a deep thought.

All this bad sheep PR creates some cognitive dissonance for people of faith, though, doesn’t it? I mean, think about it. Today we talk about Jesus as the Good Shepherd, the one who lays down his life for the sheep. But if Jesus is the shepherd, what does that make us?

We might as well face it. It makes us sheep.

A couple of weeks ago, I found myself volunteering with a group of people I’d never met before. They were all church-goers, but not Episcopalians. I knew this morning’s sermon was coming up, and I was looking for ideas. And so I asked them what questions they had about Easter. One wanted to know what Jesus meant when he said, “It is finished” from the cross. Another asked why “Good Friday” is called “Good.” A third said, “what’s up with the eggs and bunnies?”