Illustration courtesy of Christy Thomas
I am sure that many are applauding the recent decision by the Southern Baptist Church, in the name of doctrinal purity, to move closer to a permanent ban on females from assuming pastoral/preaching roles in their churches. But I wonder if, had this happened in the first century, we might find a parable like the one below in the Gospels.
The Parable of the Spotted Sheep
The shepherd, wanting to present to the Landlord the best flock ever, took a hard look at the nearly 5000 sheep under his care. Most were pure white, and they looked elegant against the green hills, like perfect clouds resting on a verdant bed.
However, to the shepherd’s discerning eye, something seemed discordant. The flock didn’t look as clean and pure as they should.
On close inspection, the shepherd noted a minority of sheep sported a small black spot on a hind leg.
It made the flock look slightly dirty, lacking true uniformity. Really, it bordered on the impure. So, the shepherd, wanting to present to the Landlord nothing but the best, culled the sheep with the black spots.
He sent them away with some vague instructions as to where they might find other green pastures and offer their wool, milk and meat to lesser folks. Satisfied that he had done well, he returned to his much purer and cleaner flock of 4198 sheep.
So the shepherd carefully fed his sheep, harvested their milk and wool, and arranged for their mating and birthing. In time, he discovered something a bit worrisome. Some of the flock began to develop brown spots near their noses and ears.
The blemishes were especially noticeable right after they had given up their wool, thus more exposed by their generosity, shivering in the winter winds.
Again, wanting to give the Landlord only the best and needing to ensure purity at all costs, he sent those brown spots away, perhaps with less care and direction as to where they might find another place of nurture and service.
Even so, pleased with the result, he resumed caring for his 2633 sheep.
Over the next few years, the shepherd’s skill at finding flaws grew. His eyes became sharper, more critical of any imperfections, any divergences from the pure white norm. He turned even greater energies on clearing out the deviations, raising his standards year by year.
It danced on the edge of his consciousness that the number of new lambs decreased each year. Furthermore, the number of lambs that died upon birth increased, as many were born with birth defects. However, he felt that those problems would self-correct as soon as he was able to more fully purify the flock.
And so, the pride in the whiteness and uniformity of his flock increased. He waited eagerly for the day when the Landlord would appear, feeling assured of receiving a pat on the back as a good and faithful servant. Surely, the Landlord would reward him with a bigger flock to manage as a result of his pursuit of purity.
On one of those perfect spring days, right after the lambing had finished for the season (and he had disposed of about 40% of the offspring, either born dead or seriously deformed), the Landlord walked up to the pasture. The pure flock, all 493 of them, were at their best--their white brightness set off perfectly by the lush, exquisitely groomed, green grass.
The shepherd proudly handed over the bona fides of each of the sheep as they grazed peacefully before them, preening in their perfection.
After acknowledging the report, the Landlord wandered among the sheep, looking more and more perturbed. Finally, he said to the shepherd, “What happened to the sheep with the black and brown spots I entrusted to you?”
The shepherd, totally off balance, said, “But... I thought you’d be happy with the purity of the flock! Surely this is what you wanted!”
The Landlord responded: “I provided you with variety, ensuring vitality in your flocks. That variety offered balance, color and health to the entire enterprise. What have you done with them?”
“I sent them away. I wanted to offer you only the ones that fit perfectly in the standards you set for us.”
The Landlord said, “You completely misinterpreted any standards you thought I set. Furthermore, it’s my job to purify the flock--it was yours to nurture them, feed them, and protect them. And now I learn that you sent them away, defenseless, hungry and unprotected.
“Far worse, you have brought shame upon my name, painting me with the black brush of exclusion and discrimination, of hatred and neglect. And more, you have compromised the entire enterprise to bring goodness to the whole world, not just a select and insular few.
“Depart from me, you unfaithful servant. Leave me to grieve over what I have lost by your foolishness.”
What are your thoughts about the continued move of the Southern Baptists to eliminate the possibility of female contamination in its hallowed corridors of power? What do you think will happen in the long run?
Do you think it is OK for women to teach teenage boys in Sunday School? What about mothers instructing their sons?
Since it was the body and blood of a woman that brought into the world the Savior, how do you feel about women offering the Body and Blood of Christ to the congregation when Communion is served?
Christy Thomas
Courtesy Photo
Author and columnist, the Rev. Dr. Christy Thomas is a retired clergy member of Horizon Texas (formerly North Texas) Conference of The United Methodist Church. This post is republished from her Substack blog, "Christy Thomas: Quiet Resistance for a Noisy Age."