The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever. (Psalm 23, KJV)
To illustrate a passage from the Scriptures that for many people is the most familiar and beloved in the Bible, I've chosen an image of the Good Shepherd by Natalya Rusetska, known among the Ukrainian Greek Catholic artists from the new school of iconography in Lviv for her weightless, delicately-rendered forms in thin color washes. In this visionary icon, she presents the sheep-tender of the Psalms as an elongated Christ figure who offers a blessing with his right hand while cradling a sheep in his left. With his feet planted in a grassy field and his head among the angels, this spiritualized Good Shepherd beautifully embodies the call in the Lord's Prayer for God's will to be done "on earth as it is in heaven." Continue to Pray for the Peace of Ukraine! (John Kohan)