Article – Prophets as Shepherds

Spring is all about growth and rebirth and celebrating the natural world and our roles as caretakers of it.

A great metaphor for this across religions is that of the shepherd, who spends a lot of time in nature and is a caretaker of sheep. More specifically, the description of prophets as shepherds—both literally and metaphorically—is a common theme across religions. Like the shepherd, the prophet gently leads his flock of followers. (S)he is a leader but does not attempt to dominate. (S)he brings them to the right path and keeps them united. (S)he enables them to graze and even wander, but eventually brings them home.

The imagery abounds across all faiths. In the Bible, Jesus refers to himself as “The Good Shepherd.” God was assured of Moses’ ability as a prophet for the people upon seeing how he treated his sheep while working as a shepherd. The Islamic Prophet Muhammad worked as a shepherd. So did Confucius. The wise Hindu God Krishna was also a shepherd or, more specifically, a cowherd. In Mahayana Buddhism, Bodhisattvas are sometimes described as shepherds for their compassionate desire to see that all humanity is shepherded along towards a state of enlightenment.

Shepherding is humble, blue-collar work. In religious symbology, it reminds us that we can all be leaders and caretakers of one another, regardless of our place in society. It also reminds us that we are all one family. Both Moses and Muhammad managed to unite many disparate and competing people into a single nation under the conviction that all should belong to the same flock. And that spiritual message of unity is shared by all religions.