Most everybody knows I’m a Labradog. I’m good at fetchin’ stuff (especially rocks), swimmin’, and mainly just bein’ a buddy to Pop. I’m more or less the foreman around the ranch and supervise most everything that gets done. I’m also kind of a watch dog, meaning I keep an eye out for security around here to offer a first level warning to my family for anything out of the ordinary.
But there’s another canine breed whose sole purpose in life is to protect. They’re whatcha call Sheepdogs. I’ve heard Pop refer to himself as a sheepdog from time to time. It’s something he does particularly where he and the Missus go to church. Here’s how he explains it . . .
Most folks are sheep. They’re kind, decent people not prone to violence who mostly live in denial of the potential wickedness of some of their fellow men. There are also wolves. They’re the evil, merciless kind with no empathy who prey on the trusting nature and innocence of the vast majority. And then there are the sheepdogs. They’re the ones who protect the sheep and confront the wolves.
The paradox is that both the wolf and sheepdog share a capacity for violence. And, sadly, the sheep generally do not like the sheepdog. He looks similar to the wolf which sometimes instills fear. His vigilance is a constant reminder that there are always wolves lurking about. But a sheepdog is a warrior who will willingly attack the attacker when the crisis inevitably occurs, and the sheep will willingly hide behind the sheepdog.
But people are not animals. They have the conscious, moral choice to be sheep, wolves, or sheepdogs. Pop chose the latter so every Sunday he sits at a vantage point that allows him quick access to protect his pastor and others in harms way. His weapons are concealed except for the obviously vigilant eyes that constantly scan for potential threats or danger. He has a silent, unwritten contract between himself and his God to serve and protect both the flock who desperately need His word and his shepherd, the pastor, who delivers it.
Maybe that’s one of the many reasons Pop and I get along so well. He thinks like me and I think like him!