Chickens Don't Need a Shepherd

Chickens don’t need a shepherd. They need a rooster.

That’s the pearl of wisdom my husband blessed me with this morning. It is such a rich thought, that I simply had to blog about it. I suspect I will be stepping on a few toes with my ponderings, however.

Eli, the captain of my Kirkhaven Egg Brigade, is a very handsome rooster. His red comb is large and deeply serrated. His long, folded wattles dangle majestically from his chin. His bright black eyes are alert, with an intelligent but slightly suspicious gleam. He has an abundance of beautifully arching tail feathers and a respectable set of rooster spurs. And as Eli traverses the pens and fields of his ridge-top kingdom, he doesn’t just walk . . . Eli struts.

My rooster is a diligent, able provider for his flock of busily-laying hens. He is an excellent forager in the woods behind the barn and easily finds delicious caches of bugs underneath logs or on top of the compost heap. When he chortles happily about a yummy discovery, the girls always come running to his insect buffet. He even steps aside, like a perfect gentleman, so the girls can enjoy the bounty. Eli feeds his girls very well. They depend upon him, and he never lets them down.

Eli is very serious about keeping his flock safe from predators. He is a bit untrusting by nature and never hesitates to gather the girls into a safe corner or protected nook if he gets an unsettled feeling. If he sees imminent danger (a hawk in the sky or a dog on the loose), his loud squawk sends everyone into an immediate scurry for safe cover. Eli is the unchallenged authority on all-things-dangerous. I have never seen any hen hesitate to run when Eli squawks.

He is also quite determined to keep his flock peaceful and orderly. First, he expects the hens to create their own pecking order. Order is achieved when everyone knows their place and no one bucks the system. Secondly, Eli allows no excessive bickering. If squabbles erupt among any disagreeable girls, he simply runs into the midst of the flurry, pecks both offending parties, and the argument is immediately ended.

Eli is careful to keep his small flock in a tightly-knit group. All roosters know that you can’t protect what you can’t easily corral, so he doesn’t let his girls wander too much. He is, however, their “knight in shining armor” if any of them get in a bind. All they have to do is send out a panicked holler and he comes boldly running to their defense . . . wings flapping, head bobbing, spurs at the ready.

He is also is very leery of strangers.  He does, however, give people a chance to get on his “trusted” list if they behave in an acceptable way. He isn’t a mean or aggressive rooster, but he does expect a certain amount of decorum and respect. Here are Eli’s "Three Rules of Proper Etiquette:"

#1.  Respect the Rooster.  Pause before entering the coop, so he can peck your shoes, block your steps, or head-butt your leg to prove his manliness. He will appreciate your role as Farmer if you appreciate his role as Exalted Prince Over All Chickendom.

#2.  Do not make exaggerated movements or unexpected loud noises.  Nothing irritates a rooster more than trying to calm a flustered group of hens.

#3.  Bring treats.  It makes him look good in front of the girls. If he can provide delicacies like bananas, Cheerios, or some table leftovers . . . even if by your hand . . . he can keep the girls happy. And happy girls make for a comfortable coop.

The whole system is harmonious and natural. Eli and his girls are thriving in their self-regulated community. This is how healthy, well-adjusted chickens live.

But this isn’t how people should live. And it definitely isn’t how the Kingdom of God should function.

Shout joyfully to the Lord, all the earth.

Serve the Lord with gladness;

Come before Him with joyful singing.

Know that the Lord Himself is God;

It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves;

We are His people and the sheep of His pasture.

Enter His gates with thanksgiving

And His courts with praise.

Give thanks to Him, bless His name.

For the Lord is good;

His lovingkindness is everlasting

And His faithfulness to all generations.

Psalm 100:1-5

We are sheep. The Bible never refers to the people of God as chickens.  Men are sheep. Women are sheep. Children are sheep. Even church leaders are sheep.

Sheep don’t strut. They have no pecking order.  They are neither self-sufficient nor community-sufficient. And they do not need a rooster: sheep need a Shepherd.

The Lord is my shepherd,

I shall not want.

He makes me lie down in green pastures;

He leads me beside quiet waters.

He restores my soul;

He guides me in the paths of righteousness

For His name's sake.

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,

I fear no evil, for You are with me;

Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.

You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;

You have anointed my head with oil;

My cup overflows.

Surely goodness and lovingkindness will follow me all the days of my life,

And I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

Psalm 23

Frankly, I am astounded by what “passes” as “acceptable” Christian culture today:

“You are so freaking gorgeous”

“My husband is a stud”
“I am hot”
"You are hot."
bawdy humor
sassy personalities
sharp-witted tongues

It seems that God’s people are so busy trying to “out strut” the world that we have lost the true image of what Godliness looks like.

We are so intent upon having
the most relevant,
least restrictive,
enchantingly cleaver,
globally receptive
outward posture,

that we have completely discarded
the simple 
inward demeanor
of an obedient disciple.

What has happened to old fashioned morality?
And quiet, Godly living?

Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you, just as I have forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.

Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit. Let us not become boastful, challenging one another, envying one another. Galatians 5:19-26

Let the hens squawk if they must.
Let the cocks swagger and crow.
Let passion and noise and arrogance and wit have their place in the coops of the world.

Sheep don’t need a rooster; they need a Shepherd.
They don't perch in coops, they rest in broad, green meadows.
And a strutting lamb simply is obscene.

I think we should stop being afraid or embarrased to say . . .
and to believe . . .

A quieted heart,
a simple life,
and a Godly demeanor
are good things . . .
in the green patures of the Good Shepherd.