KJS: Presiding Bishop, Sheep, Shepherd.

"I want to follow the Jesus who went to the graveyard and invited Lazarus back into life … who was willing to be taught by a foreign woman that he was supposed to give her good news, too. And I want to follow the Jesus who hung out with the wrong people, and challenged 'the right people' to re-examine their categories."


This was said by KJS during a visit to Dallas. There, she had a dialogue with Bishop Frey, who is considered a "more conservative" Episcopalian, and perhaps the polar opposite of KJS in many ways. Still they were able to speak rationally and amicably in front of hundreds who came. The talk, or "debate" ended with a hug.


Also from that day:

The Presiding Bishop described a postcard she keeps on her desk at the Episcopal Church Center, of a Navajo shepherd as an image of Jesus that speaks powerfully, yet humbly, to her.
"It's from a black-and-white photograph that was taken in 1925 near Shiprock, New Mexico," she told the gathering at St. Michael's & All Angels.
"Most of the sky is covered with dark clouds, but there is light in the distance on the horizon. The herd isn't all that big, but it has white sheep and black sheep, sheep with long hair and short, lambs and old ones. The shepherd is looking out over the backs of her sheep far into the distance. It's both reassurance and invitation for me, reminder that the good shepherd has all of us in his ken, and yet each one of those sheep, each of us, is called to similar kinds of shepherding on his behalf."



During the visit, she also dedicated a "jubilee center", an outreach ministry which benefits scores of children.