Moses and the Shepherd

Moses happened to see a Shepherd who was praying to God. In his prayer, the Shepherd was seeking out the location of God, so he could become, quite literally, a servant for God. The Shepherd was offering to sew His clothes, and comb His hair, and kiss His Hands, and massage His feet, etc.

Hearing all this, Moses tells the Sheepherder to stop such talk which is not befitting of God or a God worshipper (the 'Moses' of this story is an ecuminical one). Hearing Moses' point, the Shepherd sighs, and runs away all embarassed and ashamed.

A Voice came to Moses from God:

Why did you distance my creation from Me?
You are there to bring us closer not apart.
We don't look at appearances or words
We look at their 'inside' and their heart.

Hearing this, Moses seeks out the Shepherd and tells him:

Good News.
Don't worry about any style or form;
Just tell God whatever your heart desires.

From Rumi's "Moses and the Shepherd" (Moosa va Shaban); This poem, from the Seventh Century, long appeared in the fifth grade text book. Many of your parents' or grandparents' generation might still be able to recall some of its words by heart).