Tag Archives: Circus train

Inclined to wander or to wonder?

I don’t recall many memories from my childhood, but one that brings much pleasure (and tells of my age) is that of the circus TRAIN coming to town. The unloading of the animals and tents and equipment was quite the affair. And that was equaled by the elaborate setup processes. And the show…well before the popularity of TV, the show was quite spectacular! There were clowns and acrobats, trained lions, and elephants and dogs. But there were no trained sheep. Why? It seems that sheep are not the smartest of the animal kingdom and are incapable of much training. Left alone, they tend to go their own way, often getting themselves in troubled situations. They need a good shepherd to protect and guide them. When the bible says “WE are all like sheep,” it is not a compliment to us. And yet it is a fitting description of us in many ways.

We, like sheep, are prone to wander. “All we like sheep have gone astray; We have turned, every one, to his own way; And the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.” – Isaiah 53:6

Aimless in our pursuits and ambitions we, like sheep, easily go astray. We often become lost following our simple appetites rather than pursuing the green pastures to which our shepherd would have us rest.

In old Testament times, perfect, unblemished sheep were also offered as sacrifices, foretelling the sacrifice that Jesus would later make for us as the perfect Lamb of God. Jesus was referred to as the lamb of God, because he willingly became fully man, while he was still fully perfect God.

Are you, like sheep, more inclined to wander aimlessly through life? Or are you at a point in your life where you are more inclined to wonder at the mystery and the magnificence of a shepherd who laid down his life for his sheep? In this sense, it is indeed a compliment that we become like lowly sheep who listen for his voice and follow him! What is he saying to you in this new year?

My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. John 10:27