Take for instance the story of Shrek. Now this is not about an ogre who is friends with a talking donkey, but about a wild sheep in New Zealand. Shrek was a young sheep when he escaped form his shepherd. This is not an uncommon occurrence, because sheep are notorious for wandering off. What is unusual is that Shrek stayed lost for six years.
Most sheep could not survive for that long on their own. The threat of wild animals and the lack of being led to food and water all make it very difficult for sheep to survive on their own. Not only did Shrek survive, but he also grew a very impressive coat of wool.
When Shrek was finally captured, it was decided that he would need to have his fleece trimmed. In New Zealand they made his haircut into a televised special. Tens of thousands of people tuned in to watch Shrek be freed from his 60 pound coat.
There are a lot of goofy TV specials on, but I cannot imagine watching a sheep get his fleece cut.
Today, I want us to look at some lessons we can learn from sheep and shepherds to help us understand better the deep meaning of the Christmas story.