Drifting Deeper Into The Woods
Photo by Chris Curry on Unsplash.com
Mercy, Not Laws, Is The Voice Of God
by Eric Elkin
My favorite sheep story involves an escape. Our camp in New York kept a small flock of sheep on a functioning farm. The farm taught urban children how to care for animals. We also used the animals for programming. FOr example, we sheered the sheep and used the wool for craft projects.
One day the sheep escaped. The staff member in charge of the farm left the gate open. But it was not a “prison break” style departure. The sheep followed their impulses wherever they led them, and each movement led them farther away from their home. Eventually, they were lost.
The pursuit of the sheep was a comical experience. The camp included 1,200 acres of densely wooded land, and thousands of acres of uninhabited woodland surrounded our property. So getting a visual read on the sheep was tough. It took us over two weeks to get them back to the farm.
Every day someone on staff would spot the sheep in some random location. By the time we got someone there to herd the sheep back to the farm, they had moved on to some new place. Even when a staff member tried to call to the sheep, they only fled the voice.
Eventually, the sheep returned to their pen on their own accord. It turns out sheep do not like to be out in the rain. One rainy day, the farmer went to the farm, and all the sheep were in their pen—all of them resting comfortably under the shelter of the sheep shed.
This story is on my mind every time I hear Jesus say, “My sheep hear my voice…and follow me.” I want to scream, “No, they don’t!” Sheep will go wherever there is food and shelter regardless of the threat to their safety. The same applies to humans. We gravitate to where we can get food and shelter.
I am tired of reading about people who say they follow Jesus by writing laws not to be violated. To them, laws determine appropriate and inappropriate behavior. Don’t they realize Jesus never wrote a law? He and his disciples often broke the rules he was supposed to follow. How might we live differently if we actually listened to Jesus’ voice instead of drifting deeper into the woods?
Remember, Jesus asks us to look beyond death to see life. He invites us to see our neighbors and enemies as well as we see ourselves. Ultimately, he reveals his connection to the Father in his voice when he says, “I desire mercy, not sacrifice.” I hope and pray that we can all learn that mercy leads us home to the resting place of God, not following laws.
Click to read John 10: 22-30
Reflection Questions:
How do you listen to the voice of God?
What do you hear that voice telling you?
How do you determine if what you hear the voice of God telling you is consistent with the Gospel (The Good News of Jesus)?
Where can you go to find mercy?