The first sheep simply jumped to its death that morning.
Then shocked Turkish shepherds watched as nearly 1,500 other sheep followed,
each leaping off the cliff. It all began after the men had left the herd to
graze nearby while they had breakfast. In the end, 450 dead animals lay on top
of one another in a billowy white pile at the bottom of the cliff, the Turkish
newspaper, Aksam, reported. Another
thousand from the flock also jumped but were saved as the pile of the dead
cushioned their fall.
“There’s nothing we can do. They’re all wasted,” said
a member of one of 26 families whose sheep were in that herd. The estimated
total loss to the families in the town of Gevas in eastern Turkey, was 100,000
Turkish Lira ($75,000), a huge amount where the average annual income is $2,700
per person. “Every family had an
average of 20 sheep,” another villager said. “But now only a few families have sheep
left. It’s going to be hard for us.”
What caused this tragedy? Why did the sheep go over the cliff?
The answer is simple and yet somewhat mysterious: Because all the others were doing it. One
jumped and the rest followed.
People and sheep have a lot in common. Most of us will
follow a leader, as long as he seems to be doing good things for us. But if our
leader leads selfishly and destructively, following him over the cliff will be
foolish.
The Bible refers to people as sheep (Psalm 100:3, Isaiah 53:6, Matthew
9:36). We are easily distracted and susceptible to group
influence, often following the crowd rather than realizing it is going wrong
and choosing a better way.
Jesus our Good Shepherd who wants the best for His sheep
says, “My sheep hear my voice
and I know them and they follow me ...and I give then eternal life.”
(John 10:14, 27)
Who are you following? A self-centered shepherd or a wise
leader? We must daily hear the voice of the Good Shepherd and follow Him. He
knows where He is going and will lead us safely in life and into eternity.
Whom will you follow today?
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