The American concept about what it means to be a sheep is an interesting topic to explore. Our farming and agricultural industries involve many examples of livestock. However, sheep are not a traditional example of livestock in our country. That example is largely associated with the Middle East. Also, in our country, referring to others close to you or the public at large as “sheep” holds a negative connotation. And yet, we refer to our savior as the “Lamb of God”.
We recently heard about the parable of the lost sheep. There is an underlying theme of reconciliation with this parable, and I would like to put my own little spin on the idea of “lost sheep”. Have you ever had a friendly, romantic, or strictly work related relationship slowly dissolve over time? I mean to the point of turning ugly. It is not enough to remove them from your life. You need to disavow their existence, as well. I am not speaking towards situations where reasons of removal are necessary for someone’s physical or mental health. I am speaking to bitter situations that form grudges. Grudges over words spoken. Grudges based on perception. I think we can all speak to an example or two of this in our lives. We tend to create baggage from these situations, and for those of us who have a hard time letting go, we carry that baggage around as emotional weight, often to our detriment. The longer we carry it, the heavier it feels.
On the flip side, have you ever had a relationship that began antagonistically turn out to be one of deep respect and admiration? I certainly have, and I want to tell you about it.
When I began overseeing the entirety of the music ministry in 2014, there were wounds still present, particularly in the choral department. This created a situation where I was butting heads with none other than our very own, Chris Urban. Our work relationship started out in such a way that we were each an antagonist to the other. It was not an intentional set of feelings either. Neither of us set out to be antagonistic, but time and time again, that is how we perceived each other. This might come as a surprise to you because today, that is clearly not the case. Today, we both consider it an absolute joy to work and collaborate together. I would even go so far as to say that I consider him a genuine friend. What changed? Well, we did not abandon each other or the church. We kept our line of communication open. Over time, it became very apparent that our goals for the church and its music ministry were very much the same. We spoke about things in a way we did not understand at first, but our actions helped mend that communication barrier. More importantly, because our goals and actions were towards the betterment of the music ministry and the church, we were able to let go of the emotional baggage we were carrying based on perceptions we formed at the onset.
Do you see? We were both the lost sheep and the shepherd. Our flock was our perceptions, and the lost sheep was a different perception. Each of us was holding our perceptions against the other, adding another layer to the “lost sheep” analogy. Only when the two join is reconciliation possible, but you have to look for the lost sheep, seek out the different perception. You also have to let go of the emotional weight that is holding you back from reconciliation, even if that reconciliation ends up being only with yourself.
Let us all take an honest look at the baggage we are carrying, at the grudges we are keeping, and at the people not part of our flock. Let us work towards reconciliation because the flock is stronger together, and we need as many perceptions as we can find. Amen.
Adam
