We were in the shepherd’s field early to film. I was along as an “extra” as Katie was the preacher and we were filming her sermon. We wanted to get the sheep in the background. The sheep wanted nothing to do with us. I made it worse by turning on my drone to film the area. Sheep don’t like drones. When we set up our cameras, the sheep hustled away from where we were. So, I ceased to be on the film crew and was sent to be a sheep rustler.
Since the sheep were trying to avoid us, I went to get on the east side of them. Once I got in front of them, the lead sheep stopped on the path and tried to stare me down but when I would not go away, the sheep turned around to head opposite of me. The owner, Mr. Sato, was on the west side of them so as they turned around in the face of my unyielding movement they saw him. Then they froze right where we wanted them, between us. A fence was on the north side and the film crew was on the south. That meant that the sheep’s instinct to avoid us kept them mostly behind Katie. The sheep, however, saw an opening between myself and the film team and slowly they began to drift into that opening. So I drifted south trying to get them to turn back behind Katie. They kept their heads down and kept munching and maneuvering toward the southeast.
When the batteries on the filming devices shut off, due to the cold, I was back on the film crew and went to do technical support. The sheep saw their opportunity and fled to the east through the opening I had created. By the time we had the equipment ready the sheep were scattered and we had to start over again.
It does not take long to watch sheep and understand why God picked them as a metaphor for us. We hate to be boxed in, we want to do what we want to do. While my purpose was clear, “Stay behind Katie,” the sheep’s purpose was clearer, “We don’t want to do what you want to do.” The grass in the filming area was just as good as anywhere else in the field. In fact, the sheep chose that section initially. We just went to where they were. As soon as we arrived, that is when they wanted to leave. Sometimes we are resistant just to be resistant. Sometimes, we rebel for no good reason.
Sometimes we are frightened by things that can not harm us. The drone is tiny. Most people would say it is quiet (for a drone). It stayed a long way from the sheep, yet the sheep spent a huge amount of energy avoiding the drone. Like a flock of birds, they followed the lead sheep all over the field. I watch people all the time react with fear over things which are tiny risks, but have been amplified by the echo chamber of society. We often listen to the wrong things. Mr. Sato told them it was OK, but they did not listen, instead they reacted and wasted so much energy. When we would listen to the voice of the Shepherd instead of the voice of the world, we are better off. He wants to keep us safe, He wants to keep us fed and loved. We just have to trust Him.
I’m glad I had a morning to spend with the sheep.