A Prayer for Choosing a Shepherd

by Rich Orloff (New York, NY)

(a response to Psalm 23)

Unlike sheep
Each of us gets to choose our shepherd

I have sampled many shepherds
And haven’t always chosen wisely

I have chosen ego as my shepherd
And confined myself to a path no wider than I am

I have chosen tribalism as my shepherd
And refused to look beyond borders of my own making

I have chosen comfort as my shepherd
And convinced myself to be satisfied with meager grazing

I have chosen obligation as my shepherd
And filled my path with resentment

I have chosen distrust as my shepherd
And viewed every other sheep as a possible threat

I have chosen fear of rejection as my shepherd
And convinced myself I am still a fragile little lamb

I have chosen fear of death as my shepherd
And prevented myself from seeing how beautiful the land is

If I allow the Divine to become my shepherd
This choice stems not from wisdom
But from the simple admission
Of how poor my choices have been so far

Still, as I consider choosing the Divine as my shepherd
I fear the Divine will turn me into a sheep
Or one day banish me from the flock
Or even lead me to slaughter

As I wonder who to choose
I see that God has already chosen me
I stand before the Divine
Praying for the courage to trust my shepherd

Rich Orloff writes both poems and plays.  His poems have been published in The Poet, Fragments (published by T’ruah), and Fresh Words magazines, and they’ve been presented at churches and synagogues, performed in theaters and schools, read at meditation and yoga groups, and spoken at events both lofty and intimate.  Rich’s plays include the Purim-themed musical comedy Esther in the Spotlight (performed so far in New York, Toronto and Tel Aviv), the comedic revue OY! (over 50 productions in the United States – and one in Bulgaria), and many more, of all lengths, styles and subjects.  Rich’s plays have had over two thousand performances on six continents – and a staged reading in Antarctica.  More at www.richorloff.com.