Shepherd’s Warning, Shepherd’s Delight
Edited by Liesl Johnstone
Imprint: Resource Publications
Shepherd's Warning, Shepherd's Delight is a book of poetry describing Patrick McLuskie's walk from a lost place of belief in the abstract as God, where taking control of one's destiny is a matter of will and application, to a broken and then healed place before the personal God of Christianity. Turmoil became calm, calm became turmoil, backwards and forwards, as the understanding of self and the acceptance of grace, gently and gradually drew him to the feet of God. To the foot of the cross.
The realization that the Bible is God's word brings both relief and challenge. It is no neutral document. It demands a choice. It is both our greatest obstacle and our highest desire as we delight in it and weep before it, clinging to the hope that is Jesus, our Shepherd.
Patrick McLuskie is a pilot working from and living in Christchurch, New Zealand. A deep thinker, he started writing of his spiritual struggles nearly twenty years ago producing this one and only book over several years. Prior to submission for publication, no one else had read the poems in their entirety, best described as an internal search for the truth, given now to paper.
“In Shepherd’s Warning, Shepherd’s Delight, thoughtful observation and reflection combine with depth of feeling and relentless honesty, finding expression in rich imagery. Along the way the perception builds of a gradual movement from struggle and confusion towards an insightful self-awareness, clarity of faith, and a humble, peaceful acceptance of the Shepherd’s generous love. The author’s humanity and vulnerability invite the reader to deepen their own reflection on life and faith.”
—Philip Lyes, Vicar of Golden Bay, New Zealand
“As the title moves from warning to delight so too the flow in this work. The gritty existential reality through night draws one into the coming dawn and light. Not too quickly though. . . . It behooves us all to take time out and reflect on this poet’s honest journey.”
—Tony Blackie, Pastor, Beckenham Baptist Church, Christchurch, New Zealand