Sheep and Goats

Greetings and usual apologies for not posting here more. Recently, I have been rediscovering my roots in Christianity though I hesitate to even use the word, as it has been so corrupted. I have always been a Bible reader, grew up reading it and have returned to it again and again throughout my lifetime. About six months ago, one of the Anonymous people I followed on twitter and youtube came out from behind the mask and became Global Witness.

The first time I ever heard him, I was down with his message because he was saying the same things I had been saying for years. I asked my grown daughter to watch him with me. She was amazed, looked at me and said, “Wow Mom he is saying the same stuff you’ve been talking about and teaching me all my life.”

 

So, I got on a YouTube streak about a year ago and started following all sorts of interesting people talking about all sorts of interesting things, SecureTeam10, MattRogers bless him, MR.MB333 to name a few, but one of  my very favorites, is Derek Broes of Global Witness. His insight and timing was a life changer for me, and as I said, I am now all up in my Bible and been there for awhile now.

Now, about these Immigrant Kids and Families. 

All has shaken down thanks to Chris Hayes (a real journalist, and he rocks). The resulting blow up around detaining and imprisoning kids has dominated the media, much to my surprise. They are distracting us from even worse horrors, of course. And the details are horrible, shocking, but not surprising to me because I know how awful the people running the show really are.

Anyway, I broke my Twitter about it all and that has been my thing for the last week or so since the story broke. No it ain’t all on Trump, and as usual my NO LABELS policy and attempts to eliminate echo chambers had me discussing the topic on all sides with all different types of people.

What truly shocked me was, as usual, the response of Trump supporters towards these people and children coming into our country. Most of these people are literally quite willing to let people die. Bloodthirsty and totally lacking in compassion for their fellow human. I knew they were heartless, but the fact that most of these people espouse “Jesus” or being “Christian” makes me realize we are into something significant here. This is a biblical thing.

My internet went down for awhile yesterday and I couldn’t work.  I spent some of the time meditating then picked up my bible. I did the creepy thing we spiritual people do when we ask for guidance and direction; literally let the wind blow the pages to the message we are to receive. This is the message I received yesterday. I couldn’t post it then so I am posting it now with this rather rambling preface.

And I added some pictures. I’m getting better at this.

In regards to everything the world is facing these days, and especially to those who are claiming to be Christians, I give to you the words of Jesus from the Bible.

Matthew 25:31-48

31 When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory. 32 All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people on from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats, 33 He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.

34 Then the King will say to those on his right, Come you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. 35 For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36 I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.

37 Then the righteous will answer him, Lord when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38 When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39 When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?

40 The King will reply, I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.

41 Then he will say to those on his left, Depart from me you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 42 For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat. I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink. I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.

44 They also will answer,

Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?

45 He will reply, I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these you did not do for me.

46 Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.”

So I have some apologies to make to sheep. I realize, I want to be a  sheep, not a goat. I guess somehow this passage never really got to me before, I mean, I have read it time after time. Yet now, I suddenly get ashamed because I have used the term sheep as a derogatory term so often through the years.

In our culture we have come use sheep to signify going along with the crowd mindlessly. “We the sheeple” was a favorite catchphrase of mine back in the 90’s when all this we have now was just getting started. In my twitter lectures I have often referred to those blindly following the status quo, as sheep.

I take all that back now. And I have to reckon with the fact that I am a sheep.

Goats climb around and make trouble. Sheep mind their own business, they don’t necessarily mindlessly follow. They sometimes follow with a purpose. They are gentle, peaceful, useful creatures who stick together.

As Derek talks about so often, the evil which is controlling this world has taken everything and corrupted it. So here is another concept the evil one has twisted around in our minds.

I will never use the term sheep or sheeple to describe sleeping people again. Those people are asleep, not sheep.

Here Jesus is using the goats and the sheep to make a point. The sheep were the peaceful, gentle, sincere, compassionate ones. The “helpers” as Mr. Rogers said. They are the humane people, the loving people. Again, always, Love: the ultimate, simple, complete law, the only law we need.

I guess being a sheep isn’t that bad as long as we are completely aware of and satisfied with who or what we are following. But don’t follow along with the crowd just because it is comfortable. Only follow when you know the thing that you follow is Love. Stay gentle, compassionate, and helpful. Find the love for all humanity in your heart, not just the ones who look and sound like you. We are all connected and when we hurt any human, animal or the earth itself, we hurt ourselves. Love each other and love yourself.