This weekend I participated in an activity, where I was "planted". That meant I knew what was going on and my friend asked me to play a 'bad shepherd' role.
Each person was asked to pick up a piece of paper where they saw written one of five animals - pig, puppy, sheep, cow, and horse. Keeping their animal a secret, everyone was asked to wear blindfolds or keep their eyes shut. At the same time, blind, they called out the sound their animal made, to try "to find each other, be together and be at the right place".
I was meant to lead them astray.
The game started, it was noisy and chaotic. Slowly they started grouping. I chose to call out as a cow. I figured it was easy to "moo" and I made it as loud and obnoxious as I could make it (hurt my throat!).
I saw a conga line of moo-ers. I mooed long and loud next to and over them but they didn't pay attention to me, just sort of moo-ed back at me to reply. I went next to one girl and practically screeched "moo" to her ear. It wasn't soothing. I think I sounded like I was in a fight. But it worked. She let one arm go of the person in front of her, and while scrunching her face (eyes still closed) coz she was irritated by the sound of my voice. She reached for her ears then made a gesture of letting me in to join the line. Because she also stopped, she ended up losing the person in front of her. I distracted her.
I was shocked! What I did worked! I had her and at least four people behind her lost, standing still! All I had to do was put her hand on my shoulder and walk them away from the herd. Which was exactly what I was asked to do during the game.... It could have been fun, to see how they'd react when they found out they weren't "at the right place". To see if they'd complain about how off-putting I sounded, or if they didn't mind.
I couldn't do it. I ended up mute and dumbstruck. I knew it was only a game. Yet, I could not allow myself to lead them astray. I did not want to be that person "causing them harm".
Then I saw an arm reach out to her. I was surprised to see someone looking at me straight in the eye. We were both confused because we thought everyone was supposed to have their eyes closed. She whispered she was a shepherd. Aahhh, the good shepherd. I did not explain I was a bad shepherd, instead mumbled to her about being in the right place, and went back to bad-mooing. I refused to try to grab people again. The shepherd continued to keep everyone together, as well as watched me, but she still did not understand what I was doing.
Then the game ended. It was explained. I apologised to all the cows about my loud and irritating voice. :-)
I was glad the cows followed the voice of the good shepherd. (Not sure if it was part of the game, but) I was also glad when the flock was in danger, the good shepherd intervened and saved them.
Each person was asked to pick up a piece of paper where they saw written one of five animals - pig, puppy, sheep, cow, and horse. Keeping their animal a secret, everyone was asked to wear blindfolds or keep their eyes shut. At the same time, blind, they called out the sound their animal made, to try "to find each other, be together and be at the right place".
I was meant to lead them astray.
The game started, it was noisy and chaotic. Slowly they started grouping. I chose to call out as a cow. I figured it was easy to "moo" and I made it as loud and obnoxious as I could make it (hurt my throat!).
I saw a conga line of moo-ers. I mooed long and loud next to and over them but they didn't pay attention to me, just sort of moo-ed back at me to reply. I went next to one girl and practically screeched "moo" to her ear. It wasn't soothing. I think I sounded like I was in a fight. But it worked. She let one arm go of the person in front of her, and while scrunching her face (eyes still closed) coz she was irritated by the sound of my voice. She reached for her ears then made a gesture of letting me in to join the line. Because she also stopped, she ended up losing the person in front of her. I distracted her.
I was shocked! What I did worked! I had her and at least four people behind her lost, standing still! All I had to do was put her hand on my shoulder and walk them away from the herd. Which was exactly what I was asked to do during the game.... It could have been fun, to see how they'd react when they found out they weren't "at the right place". To see if they'd complain about how off-putting I sounded, or if they didn't mind.
I couldn't do it. I ended up mute and dumbstruck. I knew it was only a game. Yet, I could not allow myself to lead them astray. I did not want to be that person "causing them harm".
Then I saw an arm reach out to her. I was surprised to see someone looking at me straight in the eye. We were both confused because we thought everyone was supposed to have their eyes closed. She whispered she was a shepherd. Aahhh, the good shepherd. I did not explain I was a bad shepherd, instead mumbled to her about being in the right place, and went back to bad-mooing. I refused to try to grab people again. The shepherd continued to keep everyone together, as well as watched me, but she still did not understand what I was doing.
Then the game ended. It was explained. I apologised to all the cows about my loud and irritating voice. :-)
I was glad the cows followed the voice of the good shepherd. (Not sure if it was part of the game, but) I was also glad when the flock was in danger, the good shepherd intervened and saved them.
John 10:1-21 New International Version (NIV)
The Good Shepherd and His Sheep
10 “Very truly I tell you Pharisees, anyone who does not enter the sheep pen by the gate, but climbs in by some other way, is a thief and a robber. 2 The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. 3 The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4 When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice. 5 But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger’s voice.” 6 Jesus used this figure of speech, but the Pharisees did not understand what he was telling them.
7 Therefore Jesus said again, “Very truly I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep. 8 All who have come before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep have not listened to them. 9 I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved.[a] They will come in and go out, and find pasture. 10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.
11 “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. 12 The hired hand is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep. So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it. 13 The man runs away because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep.
14 “I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me— 15 just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep. 16 I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd. 17 The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life—only to take it up again. 18 No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father.”
19 The Jews who heard these words were again divided. 20 Many of them said, “He is demon-possessed and raving mad. Why listen to him?”
21 But others said, “These are not the sayings of a man possessed by a demon. Can a demon open the eyes of the blind?”
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