I don't have problems with the doctrines or teachings of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. But for some small but specific reasons, I've never liked the parables of "the lost sheep" or "the prodigal son." From a practical standpoint, I thought it was absolutely ridiculous for a Shepard to risk his "ninety and nine" to track down the "one." I mean, what if 5 of the 99 wandered off while he was chasing the 1? It just didn't make sense to me. And I also thought that the good brother got the short end of the stick in "the prodigal son."
"I never was the wanderer
I never was the lamb
Who lost the way or left the fold,
That is not who I am.
I never was the prodigal,
The master's wayward son
Who squandered all his father gave
and then came humbly home.
and then came humbly home.
The ninety-nine, the faithful child,
That's who I'll always be.
But while we worry 'bout the wayward,
where's the parable for me?"
Now before you book me with doctrines and condemn me for being selfish, let me clarify. I know better now. I've taken religion classes that taught me different viewpoints on the "good" brother in the prodigal parable. And I know that the story of the good Shepard isn't about the 99, and that even when he goes after the 1... he doesn't leave the 99 alone.
Just a little thought.
where's the parable for me?"
Now before you book me with doctrines and condemn me for being selfish, let me clarify. I know better now. I've taken religion classes that taught me different viewpoints on the "good" brother in the prodigal parable. And I know that the story of the good Shepard isn't about the 99, and that even when he goes after the 1... he doesn't leave the 99 alone.
Just a little thought.
It's still a beautiful thought m'dear. Love you!
ReplyDeleteWow did you write that poem? It's fantastic! If someone said that they hadn't at least felt some strange small feeling of abandonment that is associated with the 1 vs. 99 parable they'd probably be lying. By leaving the 99 for the 1 doesn't the shepherd put the 99 in danger? Don't those 99 need him just as much as the 1? But like you said, growing older has its benefits ( as well as those BOM classes). I think that one sheep didn't just get lost suddenly, but started becoming rebellious. It found a way under the brush, or shoved its way through its enclosure. The rest of the sheep were happy, secure, trusting that their shepherd knew best and would take care of them. But that one needed to discover for itself just how far out of the shepherds reach it could go, until one day it ended up lost. The shepherd had to go after it because it couldn't or wouldn't come back without him. Of course.... this is all metaphorical... and all lost sheep have their own story... but that's how I like to look out it.
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