William Engebretsen from Nebraska writes, “For three years, we had a sheep ranch in western Nebraska. Each year, we sheared some sheep, sold some, and butchered a few lambs for leg-of-lamb for our family and our cattle-raising relatives. In 1990, we moved to Indiana, so I could attend seminary. One Sunday, my three-year-old son Ian was learning about the Good Shepherd in his class. “Ian, your dad was a shepherd,” the teacher said. “What did he do with the little lambs?” She expected to hear about the care and protection I provided them. “He kills them and cuts off their heads,” was Ian’s blunt reply. The teacher was dumbstruck. Later, I “sheepishly” suggested that next time she could tie it in with Jesus’ role as the sacrificial Lamb.”
