The Sheep Whisperer

After getting our Schnauzer puppy Captain Jack, Cesar Millan became our new best friend. If you don’t recognize the name, you don’t own a dog. Cesar Milan, according to the introduction to his show on the National Geographic Channel, “rehabilitates dogs and trains people.” He is the Dog Whisperer.

Cesar is all about treating dogs as dogs (and not as four-legged humans) and encouraging humans to take their rightful place as their pack leaders. A dog’s needs are very basic. They have no desire for human soul mates. What they need is leadership. Dog owners can achieve this through what Cesar calls calm-assertive energy.  When the owner displays calm-assertive leadership, the pet can achieve a calm-submissive state, bringing dog and owner into right relationship.

Cesar can tell just by how you walk your dog whether or not you are the pack leader. Consider the last time you took Fido out for his daily stroll. Who was out in front, the dog or the human? Whoever leads is the leader. His philosophy is as simple as that.

Cesar gleans his views on leadership from the animal kingdom. In the animal kingdom, the role of the pack leader is twofold: to protect and to direct. The pack leader is always more concerned for the pack than for himself. It is an unselfish role, which instills trust and provides stability to the pack.

Why does all this sound so strangely familiar?

The psalmist David understood these leadership qualities from a shepherd’s point of view. Consider the shepherd’s responsibility to direct and protect the sheep in Psalm 23. “He leads me beside peaceful streams . . . He guides me along right paths . . . Even when I walk through the darkest valley, I will not be afraid . . . Your rod and your staff protect and comfort me.” When the sheep accept the shepherd’s leadership, they achieve balance, harmony, and tranquility because they are in right relationship with their leader.

Contrary to popular belief, sheep are not stupid but they are easily panicked, vulnerable to frustration, and tend to be competitive. However, sheep will thrive in a herd as long as they have a trustworthy pack leader, i.e. a shepherd. A good shepherd’s main concern is always for the sheep. He provides protection and direction because sheep have little or no means of defense and they love to be on the move.

It comes as no surprise to us that the writer of Hebrews extols Jesus as “that great Shepherd of the sheep (Hebrews 13:20).” Jesus well understood the necessity of quality leadership: “When he saw the crowds, he had compassion them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd (Matt 9:39).” Moreover, Jesus, as the selfless leader willingly put the pack’s needs ahead of his own: “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep (John 10:11).”

Although, it may seem a crude analogy it is not a stretch to define the church as a pack and Jesus as her pack leader. Throughout his life and ministry, Jesus led with a calm-assertive energy, guiding his sheep into a calm-submissive relationship with him and with other sheep. Jesus continues to direct and protect his pack for his main concern has been and always will be to help them find stability and peace through right relationship with him. Jesus is the Sheep Whisperer.

Remember, Cesar Milan could evaluate the quality of the relationship between pack leader and pack by simply evaluating their daily walk. In other words, on our daily pilgrimage with Jesus are we following or are we struggling to take the lead? A calm-submissive attitude demonstrates our trust in Jesus’ leadership to protect and to direct his own. 

In recent years, our little pack has followed Jesus through some unexpected hills and valleys. We never anticipated living in four different countries in as many years and although I don’t think we ever tried to run ahead of the Shepherd, there may have been times we slowed our gait because what was ahead seemed so uncertain. Yet we did follow and the Lord was true to his nature. He guided and protected us through some difficult yet ultimately satisfying experiences.

Stuart and I look forward to more ministry opportunities in Mexico. We enjoy directing people to the shepherd of our souls so that they may find right relationship with him.

So is Jesus the Sheep Whisperer? You decide. As for me, “The LORD is my pack leader; I have all that I need.”