Why sheepdogs are relevant

 

A sheepdog by simple definition means someone who protects the sheep from the wolves or a certain group of people who watch over the rest of the people; In a way a watchman. A sheepdog can be anyone who truly cares about another and is willing to take action to show that care. A sheepdog can’t be careless. A sheepdog can be me or you or our neighbor, a sheepdog is one who serves and preside. One who serves could simply be mistaken for a sheep but one who serves and watches over his kindred is no sheep at all: many of the best people we come across are people who serve whether it be in the military, police, fire department, rescue and charity organizations, missionaries, givers, volunteers, and local and civil community watchmen. A sheepdog can be one who thinks walking for miles to fetch water from the stream like we did in the old days and still do in a lot of underdeveloped areas around the world and chooses to fix it by digging a well closer to the homes of his/her community, that individual is a sheepdog. He/she watches their neighbors walk for miles just for water and ask the question how can i provide value and a better way for my community to not suffer so he/she digs a well now all can fetch from it and the community is served. He saves his community from the possible danger of long water travels and improve their life’s while asking nothing in return. The shopkeeper who looks at a young man with no sense of direction and say to himself, perhaps I will help this young man, I will pay him little to sweep my floors and offer him some groceries while offering him a sense of self-worth and direction: such action, such compassion, such leadership make one a sheepdog, while the noble doer may not know it, he is saved a young man’s life and possibly shaped his future, he is thought him about work and the payoff associated with it, he is thought him a valuable skill one he can’t survive and thrive without. While sweeping floors the young man may learn about the flow of business, the day to day operation, communication, diversity. Skills we all need such service to mankind is what our society needs today. One who stands and say I will not let evil and harm come to the innocent, so he finds a way to preserve the life of the innocent. A sheepdog can be who stands out among wolves (bad leaders) and say although everyone around me is corrupt I will not join in, but rather I will serve my people in integrity. One who is who aware of his surroundings and see where its failing and say to himself how can I transform my environment and he/she realizes that that starts by transforming his/herself. A sheepdog is brave, courageous, steadfast, aware and willing but most importantly a sheepdog is humble and understand to do what it takes to make a difference he must start with himself and absorb good character traits and habits than can be cultivated and build upon.
HISTORY IS FILLED WITH FAMOUS AND INFAMOUS PEOPLE WHO DISPLAYED ACTS OF A SHEEPDOG.
Martin Luther king: yes, he understood blacks were no longer slaves but blacks still suffered systematically and lacked basic human right such as the right to vote, partake and hold public offices and gained access to all society had to offer, MLK put his life on the line to fight for a cause and in the end blacks did in fact gained those rights, he stood as a line between the oppressor (wolves) and the oppressed (sheep).
Nelson Mandela: spend twenty years in prison for fighting against apathy but in the end, he did accomplish bringing an end to the apartheid movement in south Africa. He saw the wrong in his community and had the bravery and courage to take a stand and most importantly he was willing to take a stand towards bringing a positive outcome for his people and had to sacrifice a portion if his life.
Maximilian Kolbe: kept on taking in Jewish and polish refugees until he was sent to a concentration camp and even in the concentration camp, he volunteered to take the place of a condemned man, he gave his life for his brother showing great courage, faith, strength and dignity, such character is one a SHEEPDOG bears.
Winston Churchill: inspired the Brits to fight against Germany and not make a deal with Hitler, he saw no negotiation with a ruthless genocidal power-hungry Hitler and understood there will be a cost for his decision but in the end although the Brits paid a heavy price to hold off Nazi Germany  in the end the British came out on top and were never overtaken by Germany.
Dave Ramsey: he may not be one we think of when we use the term sheepdog, but he fits right into that category, he has seen the negative impact debt and financial mishaps have brought to people’s life’s and said enough is enough first to himself and second to the American people and stepped in to provide a solution, a way to save people and help them. He is changed generations and save people and families from pain and suffering.
Emmeline Parkhurst: led suffrage movement in the UK, she was imprisoned many times for her actions in the fight for women’s right, but she never gave up, she fought bravely for what she believed in and although her country didn’t grant women full rights when she wanted, she still change the motive of her movement to support England and encourage her supporters to come together and helped the country in world war 1 after the war she turned her attention back to the fight for women’s right. “”We are here, not because we are law-breakers; we are here in our efforts to become law-makers.”
Joan of Arc: a woman who led the French army in battle against the English, even though it was uncommon for women to lead armies during that era, she stood up bravely and showed great courage and leadership and won the respect of her comrades, her action and courage showed the type of character a sheepdog ought to possess.
Edith Cavell: she helped allied soldiers escape; she was eventually killed for her action but said “patriotism isn’t enough, I must have no hatred or bitterness towards anyone” the ultimate act of a sheepdog, a selfless act and showing no grudge at the end for a job well done with no earthly rewards.
Socrates: Greek philosopher who was willing to die for his beliefs, although he lost his life he basically shaped western philosophy and thinking. A sheepdog  strongly holds firm to what he believes and its positive impact it can bring to this world, I believe this is what Socrates held on to.
Martin Niemoller: opposed the Nazi ideology and its influence on the church, he was imprisoned for this until liberation, he understood Hitler ideology was dangerous and will not let the church go with it, he was one of the few church leaders who stood up to Hitler and said no to German/Nazi ideals in his churches.

 

Today in our society we are at a very interesting time in where half the world experience peace and the other half doesn’t, where ten percent of the world population live comfortably and have a surplus and the rest of the world doesn’t and it’s not a lack of abundance for there is enough resources to go around but rather an act of selfishness, we live in a society where the common man isn’t valued anymore neither is character held high but rather the status of an individual or the label of the company he/she works for, we live in a society where we see rights abused daily, leaders become more corrupt and less engaged with the people, we live where we choose to divide rather than unite, we live in society where we don’t value the wisdom of the elderly who have lived the test of time and show us the knowledge of the ages. This begs to ask the question; is there a shortage of sheepdog?

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