The Posted Comment:
It is reported that in the kindergarten classroom attacked today in Connecticut, one six year old, seeing the threat, led several of his classmates outside as he held the door.
God bless and keep those who find their vocation as sheepdogs who would protect the flock around them, even six year olds!
Comments on the comment:
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Amen here too.
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I'm agreeing with you, Sheepdog.
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I think I'm gonna call you Sheepdog from now on.
It is extremely puzzling to observe that this kindergarten boy’s wisdom and understanding is not grasped by those who laud him.
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How is it that those who laud the action of this little boy do not see that the reason that his action was worthy of notice and emulation is that he actually led those who were in danger out of the group where the danger existed?
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In case the point still is not clear, what good is a sheepdog who does not actually drive the sheep clear of the gathering where the danger is, but merely barks loudly about the danger?
This kindergarten classroom was established as a safe haven for students to be gathered to learn and grow. However, danger entered this previously safe gathering so that it was no longer what it was established to be. This young boy, perceiving the transformation from haven to trap and slaughter house, responded by leading his classmates out of the trap.
Yet pastors today, when they see that their church bodies are no longer the safe havens that they originally were held to be, when they see that their church bodies have become spiritual traps and slaughter houses, continue to tell the people that they are safe. Rather than leading people to the door and holding it open for them, they tell the people that they are safe and to continue in the gathering in the trap. Moreover, the people praise their pastors for their loving leadership that binds them to continual decay of the faith.
The shooting in this school is a terrible tragedy. The community and the people are hurting, confused, and afraid. Families have been changed through loss of loved ones. Certainly this should not be exploited.
Yet this little boy does stand as a shining example. Certainly he should be encouraged and we should learn from his actions. And when pastors point to this boy’s actions, they surely should emphasize what he did that was effective. Moreover, pastors are not sheepdogs, but shepherds. Neither did this little boy act as a sheepdog. Sheepdogs do not lead tenderly but with barks and snaps of their teeth. Shepherds lead through the proclaiming of the gentle voice of The Shepherd.
The fact that a pastor would liken this little boy’s actions and the vocation (calling) of the shepherds of the flocks to that of sheepdogs, is very disturbing. It certainly moves me to ask myself how many times that I may have acted like a sheepdog rather than a shepherd. But that a pastor would make this shift in terminology is very disturbing. This certainly is not found in the Scriptures. Neither is this found in the Lutheran Confessions.
If a pastor thinks this way and speaks this way, both he and those entrusted to his care should be asking themselves:
What does this mean?
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