Some Sheep are Stupid
Tue 28 Sep 2010 Filed in: Reflections
I’ve heard some interesting stories in the last few weeks. One of the enjoyable aspects of being a retired pastor is getting to listen to some of my not-yet-retired brothers. Their stories are unfailingly interesting and occasionally painful - and no, I’m not going to share them here.
It strikes me that the challenging privilege of a shepherd is to love some truly stupid sheep. I used to believe the lie that when an unwise and intellectually challenged pagan became a Christian, somehow God made them smarter. Usually it is not so. When a stupid pagan becomes a Christian, it is a wonderful thing, but the result most often is a stupid Christian with an acute but sometimes unrecognized need to rely on the Holy Spirit. And those who shepherd such sheep get to love them through all of their messy stupidity.
Sometimes it is a challenge. I never cease to be amazed at how blissfully unaware some folk can be of the damage they stupidly leave in their wake. I was reminded of that again recently in talking to a man who remains clueless about his own self-created chaos. It seems to me that the Christian life lived in a sinful world can be messy enough without other Christians making it messier.
Pastors, of course, are not perfect. I remember several years ago being part of a group that invited our district superintendent to speak to district pastors and wives on the topic, “Don’t Be Stupid.” It was a tongue-in-cheek suggestion, but he took it seriously, and I suppose it is a message all of us need to hear.
The hope in this picture is that stupidity carries with it the potential to understand and experience grace. And I suppose that the stupider we are, the deeper the grace. To be stupid and miss grace is tragic indeed!
It occurs to me that some who read this will wonder if it was prompted by a conversation with their pastor. Don’t go there. Some sheep are, at least occasionally, stupid, and you might be one of them. So might I. If you feel the need to ask, then do something to correct the stupidity and bask in the grace of your Shepherd and your shepherd.
It strikes me that the challenging privilege of a shepherd is to love some truly stupid sheep. I used to believe the lie that when an unwise and intellectually challenged pagan became a Christian, somehow God made them smarter. Usually it is not so. When a stupid pagan becomes a Christian, it is a wonderful thing, but the result most often is a stupid Christian with an acute but sometimes unrecognized need to rely on the Holy Spirit. And those who shepherd such sheep get to love them through all of their messy stupidity.
Sometimes it is a challenge. I never cease to be amazed at how blissfully unaware some folk can be of the damage they stupidly leave in their wake. I was reminded of that again recently in talking to a man who remains clueless about his own self-created chaos. It seems to me that the Christian life lived in a sinful world can be messy enough without other Christians making it messier.
Pastors, of course, are not perfect. I remember several years ago being part of a group that invited our district superintendent to speak to district pastors and wives on the topic, “Don’t Be Stupid.” It was a tongue-in-cheek suggestion, but he took it seriously, and I suppose it is a message all of us need to hear.
The hope in this picture is that stupidity carries with it the potential to understand and experience grace. And I suppose that the stupider we are, the deeper the grace. To be stupid and miss grace is tragic indeed!
It occurs to me that some who read this will wonder if it was prompted by a conversation with their pastor. Don’t go there. Some sheep are, at least occasionally, stupid, and you might be one of them. So might I. If you feel the need to ask, then do something to correct the stupidity and bask in the grace of your Shepherd and your shepherd.