July 9, 2026

In the recent film, The Sheep Detectives, the talking sheep of the film slowly discover how different and necessary each of them are. They spend the movie trying to solve the mystery of their shepherd’s untimely demise. One sheep is wise and clever, but she needs the loyalty and bravery of the only sheep that carries the memory and sorrow of their flock. She needs the insight of the lamb everyone has excluded for being born in the wrong season. And ultimately, she and her sidekick are saved by the sacrificial rescue of the old adopted sheep their shepherd allowed to wander in and out of their flock.

It becomes clear to all the sheep that their existence as a group is indeed enhanced by their variety of gifts, but ultimately, their very survival depends on it. The perspective of the outsiders allows them to try new ways of living and learning. Some of the lessons are learned nearly too late, but they come to realize that the shepherd knew them all by name and loved them for their uniqueness. Our scripture is a reminder that our shepherd not only appreciates, but gifts us and calls us to different perspectives, abilities, and roles. And we are at our best as a flock when we embrace that variety.

It is worth noting in our holy book that God begins creation with a teaming variety on earth before ever creating people. And the second person God creates is considerably different from the first. When God comes to earth as a man, he then chooses 12 wildly different people to follow him, and begins telling stories and calling followers from far outside his family, faith tradition, and nation to hear his message and carry it to the wider world. If we are to be the Church, the Body, God’s people… we must be a flock of wild and wooly differences, sheep with a variety of gifts, challenges, and insights who embrace once another and act together for a purpose.