Boss Cow

I have been told not to name the cows that roam the pasture because they are not destined for the life of a pet, but for the livestock market.  Still, each of the ten ended up with some kind of moniker.  A young steer I call "Freezer," another is know as "Brown Cow" for obvious reasons, and still another "Pilgrim' since she was birthed while we were eating Thanksgiving turkey one year. There is another one who was named "Pearl" as she was born on December 7, but her title has become "Boss Cow."  It is a role she inherited from her mother and she wears it well out in the pasture.  When some other cow dares to get in her way, she is likely to give them a "head butt" to remind them of their place.

 

I must have too much time on my hands in these retirement years as I notice things and think too much.  As I watch pasture life, I wonder about the importance of authority in our lives.  None of us likes to be the one getting the "head butt."  But, is it not true that we all recognize someone or some thing as the authority in our lives?  Or, maybe what is true is that we give authority to someone or some thing outside of ourselves.  Whatever the case, living under the authority of someone or some thing outside of ourselves seems to simply be the way life is lived.  To watch the pasture is to see that it must just be a part of life.

 

So, maybe the real issue has to do with the object of the authority over us.  Who or what determines how we live, our values, and our priorities?  It appears that it is not only an issue for us as individuals, but also for many churches.  The Word no longer seems to be the final authority.  Instead, it is often replaced with a version of "what I think Jesus really meant," or an ever growing popular opinion which claims more authority than Jesus, or the Word of God.  Despite all the winds of change blowing around me, I still have trouble getting away from that Word which says, "All scripture is inspired by God...so that everyone who belongs to God may be proficient, equipped for every good work."  (II Timothy 3:16-17)