I had this ready to post many days ago, but thought I'd let the furor over the subject matter cool a bit. When I'm cool headed I can hear and accept difficult things.
A Straight,
No Bah Sheep
Post!
(Okay the title is BS, but the post isn't)
An actual staw over wire sheep
I've been spendin a spell over at the SirNickDon, sheep ranch. He's been havin some ruckus with some other shepherds. That SirNickDon, he's a pistol! Anyway, he's got a notice nailed to one of his fence posts. And some of his fellow shepherds ain't happy 'bout what's on his post!! Really it's just one lil' ole piece causin all the fuss.... Here 'tis.
- Admit complicity for tragedy, and repent. It is not enough to distance yourself from the murder of George Tiller, the bombing of women's clinics, and other tragedies done by extremists for your cause. If you want to be taken seriously by a culture that is revolted by such acts, you have to admit that you take them at least as seriously as those uninvolved do. It is true that the killer of George Tiller did not represent every pro-life worker, but the pro-life movement certainly created an atmosphere that allowed Scott Roeder to justify his actions to himself. Beyond admitting this, the pro-life movement must further take concrete steps to dissuade this kind of vigilantism like this from taking its name in the future.
If you gotta hankerin to read all of whats on SirNickDon's old post, well just nosy on over and have a look see. (Click on his handle above and you'll git there quicker than Dorothy clackin her heels together).
BAH BAH HUMBUG!
Simply put, many Christians take issue with SirNickDon's little paragraph I've got in italics. And who wouldn't be bothered by that paragraph? SirNickDon does indeed suggest that pro-lifers are, at least a little, responsible for fostering an atmosphere which, "...allowed Scott Roeder to justify his actions [committing murder] to himself." It is awfully nervy to suggest, that I, a pro-life Christian, should take any responsibility for what a murderer, I've never met, did in a place I've never even visited! Perhaps next he'll suggest it was my fault Catholic priests molested children!
Doesn't matter what he thinks, or what he writes. His point is rendered moot. I'm not saying he's wrong, I'm saying his reasoning needs to be... well, a lot less reasonable.
Christians need to shoulder responsibility for the guilt of people like Scott Roeder.
Okay, okay, calm down....What I'm saying is insane, so at least hear me out. Look at it this way... you've got more time to plan your scorching 'flame'.
WHEN THE GOOD SHEPHERD IS CRAZY...
So this savior, Jesus, taught this parable about a lost sheep. The story is found in Matthew 18,
"What do you think? If a man has a hundred sheep, and one of them has gone astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine on the mountains and go in search of the one that went astray? 13And if he finds it, truly, I say to you, he rejoices over it more than over the ninety-nine that never went astray."
This parable doesn't, in any way prove, the point I hope to make. The point is to show the nature of Jesus, the Good Shepherd. The shepherd in the parable isn't blamed for losing the sheep. Sheep can be very rebellious and when they are, they just keep getting into trouble. The shepherd leaves 99 sheep unattended to go and find the one. Do that math, either shepherds failed math, or concern so powerfully overtakes their senses they can only think of the lost sheep.
When the shepherd finds his sheep he beats the stupid thing, and shouts over and over,with cruel glee, "YUM! YUM! Lamb chops tonight!" Oh, wait, that's not how the story goes is it?! 13"And if he finds it, truly, I say to you, he rejoices over it more than over the ninety-nine that never went astray." Whomp! There it is! The shepherd "rejoices"...That means the shepherd's insanely happy about finding the stupid rebellious sheep!! I told you! CRAZY!
But that's not even the craziest thing I've got to show you. The next part is just totally the craziest thing there ever was!! I mean Jesus, the Good Shepherd, lost ALL His reason....
A STRAW SHEEP ARGUEMENT
First Jesus expects that we love His stinky, dirty, stupid, pain in the ass, often rebellious sheep. I have to love Calvinist sheep, Methodist sheep, Anglican sheep, Church of Christ sheep, and that's not all! YUCK!! Christians, SUCK SWAMP WATER! Christians know better than anyone else how much every other Christian sucks! The Good Shepherd demands we love and rejoice over His sheep!!
Jesus takes upon Himself responsibility for what He did not do. Didn't Jesus take the sin of the world upon Himself on a Roman cross? Jesus was innocent, but "He who knew no sin became sin, that we might become the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus." We didn't ask Jesus to take the sin of the world upon His shoulders. He knew that the only way any of us could possibly be saved was if He took the guilt for our sins upon Himself. It's a Biblical family tradition. Moses pleaded with God not to destroy the Israelites who had rebelled against God. Nehemiah repented to God for, not just his sins, but the sins of the Hebrew people. Isaiah acknowledged, before God that he was "a man of unclean lips, from among a people of unclean lips."
With this understanding I now make my "straw sheep" argument:
A stupid shepherd (errant Christian) kicks a sheep (lost person) in a hole (does evil to a sinner, and makes Christ look evil). Would you then leave the sheep in the hole? Even though it wasn't you who kicked the sheep in the hole, won't you, a disciple of the Great Shepherd, take responsibility to get the sheep out of the hole? That is after all what Jesus did.
What Jesus did isn't reasonable, it's insanity!! it's just what Jesus does, and it's what Jesus calls us to do. There will be times that lost "sheep" won't allow the Lord's under shepherds to pull them from the hole. Such is simply the case. The issue isn't what errant sheep do or don't do. The issue is do we allow Jesus to instill in us a heart after His own heart, and become shepherds who take responsibility for a sheep's situation?
I don't shoot abortion doctors, vilify gay people, or molest children. I do however confess and own that Christians have done some pretty bad things in the name of Jesus Christ. I understand if lost sheep prefer a deep hole to knowing me and Jesus who has saved me. Who misrepresented Christ matters little. Who will accept responsibility for reaching religiously wounded people, who can't know the "real" Christian from a hole in the ground?
May God make His face to shine upon you, and His peace be with you,
Lonnie
Let the "flames" begin!!