Recently, a teen from our neighborhood died of what appears to have been an accident with a handgun. I am sad to say that the death of the young men and women of color in this neighborhood are not commonplace, but they are all too frequent. What made this particular death so painful is that this kid was one of our own. He was one who had found his way into tutoring and into our lives. For over a year, he attended basically everything that we did (tutoring, church, trips). At Summer's Best Two Weeks, I watched as he shed tears at a presentation of the passion of the Christ. Later that evening, he would respond to that sacrifice. The happy ending to this story would be that this teen took seriously his commitment to Christ and turned his life around. However, the real ending is far more tragic. After returning from camp, he was lured in by a more impressive form of discipleship, the drug trade. He found that he could make some quick cash working lookout and that he could make even more boosting a car stereo here and there. He drifted further from CHAT, further from community, further from Christ.
What does all this have to do with 'goats and sheep'? It is a reference to a story that Jesus told in Matthew 25. In this passage, Christ speaks of a great separation that will take place when 'the Son of Man comes in glory'. He uses the analogy of a shepherd dividing between sheep and goats. From the outset, the story seems very simple. Some people are sheep and some are goats. The sheep are the ones that will inherit the kingdom of God. The goats will receive nothing (except punishment). It appears to be an almost arbitrary decision of God. This is just too bad for the goats! They can't help it they don't produce wool like the sheep. The whole situation appears to be a tad bit unfair. Then, you read on.
Next, God explains how real 'sheep' are born. They are born not of lineage (which must have been an offense to many of the Jew), not of a single rite or decision (which remains an offense to both Protestant and Catholic alike) and not through direct, intentional service to Christ (the sheep appear to be unaware that they have served Christ). All this to say simply that our everyday decisions affect our being in such a way to form our identity. The miracle of the cross is that goats are transformed to sheep (just as water is to wine). Through the power of the Holy Spirit, a conformational change occurs that reforms our body, mind and spirit to live and work in a new way.
However, this miracle is also a warning to us. If we look, act and think like a goat, then we might just be one. Just because my father was a great sheep does not mean that I am one. That will be defined by the Spirit's work in my life and my daily decisions to respond to Christ call to serve the poor, the least of these. Even more so, one decision at an altar does not complete our transformation from goats to sheep. That commitment must be allowed to penetrate our very souls and pour forth in daily decisions to see Christ lifted up in every corner of our lives. The initial decision to accept Christ is still paramount, but it is never the end of story (or our identity). It is only the beginning. Finally, the sheep appeared to be unaware that they had served Christ. The poor never look like Christ. They are ugly, dirty, ill mannered and full of overwhelming problems. When I think of Christ, their pictures certainly do not come to mind. And yet, "Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me." To serve and care for people that look and act just like us is not the mandate of sheep. They look after a different lot.
What does all this have to do with kid who died? He needed a shepherd. Shepherds not only divide up the flock, but they help goats learn how to make decisions like sheep, how to be sheep. We need more sheep and we need more shepherds. Why are there so few? I fear it is because too many of us are living and making decisions like goats. Be careful! You always become what you pretend to be. For a while, let's all pretend to be sheep and meet the needs of 'the least of these'. Maybe we will see more and more goats transformed into sheep!
By: Percy Strickland
