Jisas em wasman b'long sipsip,

Em i lukautim mi;

Mi lindaun long gutpela gras,

Na dringim kol wara.

Sapos mi go long ples nogut,

Mi no ken save pret;

Jisas yu stap klostu long mi,

Kros b'long yu helpim mi.

The Lord’s my shepherd, I’ll not want;

he makes me down to lie

in pastures green; he leadeth me

the quiet waters by.

Yea, though I walk through death’s dark vale,

yet will I fear no ill;

for thou art with me, and thy rod

and staff me comfort still.

Papua New Guinea (PNG) is known locally as The Land of the Unexpected. A sheep appearing in this mural was, in some ways, quite an unexpected thing…. there are no sheep in PNG! No shepherds either so, when translated into the language Tok Pisin, ‘The Lord’s my Shepherd’ becomes ‘Jisas’ (Jesus) is my ‘wasman’ (watchman). In the other verse shown here, ‘death’s dark vale’ is a ‘ples nogut’ (a place no good) but ‘I don't have to be afraid,’ continue the Tok Pisin words: ‘Jesus, you are with me and your cross is there to help’.

The cross you see here is painted on the east wall of the Bishop’s Chapel in the capital, Port Moresby, palm trees and a blue-tailed gecko at the feet of the crucified Shepherd, rooting it in Papua New Guinea where life is often precarious. For people there - as everywhere - this hymn and indeed Psalm 23 on which it’s based, is a stirring declaration of trust in an unwaveringly faithful God. Listen below to the wonderfully rich sound of PNG Christians at worship.

The Anglican Church has a strong presence across PNG and there’s been a lively link with the Diocese of Norwich for the last 45 years. You might like to respond to the Bishop of Norwich’s Lent Appeal 2022 in aid of much-needed hospital beds for mothers-to-be in Sag Sag, a community encircled by both dense rainforest and the shores of the South Pacific.