Sacred Cows

We got an interesting call from my Mom last night. She and some of her friends had gone on a day trip to see another friend who recently moved. Day came and went and as night closed in I began to worry.

When the phone rang, I expected it to be my Mom calling to say she was home. Instead she reported that they were almost home but would be a bit delayed because they had hit a cow.

Yes, you read it right, a cow.

Apparently it was standing in the road. Another driver had flashed their headlights to warn them but they missed the cue. None of them were hurt. The car escaped damage for the most part. The police were on the scene searching for the cow which could be heard mooing but could not be located.

What a crazy story. What a memorable trip. What a teaching moment. Ever encounter a "sacred cow?" Ever hit one head-on as you are moving along on this path called "life?"

A "sacred cow" is by definition: something too highly regarded to be open to criticism or curtailment. In other words they are thoughts, beliefs, or activities that people protect--either for the sake of tradition or because they are deeply meaningful to them.

There is nothing wrong with tradition and protecting something that is meaningful is certainly no crime. But what about when the Holy Spirit shines His light to warn us of the danger we will encounter if we don't stop long enough to clear the path of "sacred cows?"

Do we pick up on His cue? Do we heed it? Or do we end up hitting "sacred cows" dead-on and then go off to search for them as if they were a long lost friend?

Truth be told we don't expect to encounter cows in the road so we are not really sure of what to do when it happens. My Mom & her friends called for help. They were a little shaken up but will recover. However, the story could have had a much different ending. The outcome could have even been fatal.

The same is true when we hit "sacred cows." Whether they belong to us or someone else in the end somebody's usually "got a beef" with somebody. This could be avoided if we would stop and take the time to move them out of the way together. At the same time being thankful that God cares enough to warn us of spiritual danger lying in wait for those who refuse to let go of all that He does not view as HOLY.

Many times we are not willing to change when God prompts us. The outcome can mortally wound our testimony or be spiritually fatal for us as believers.

Sacred cows, holy cow! Think you don't have any? Most of us try to steer clear of them to avoid opposing views that collide with our long protected ideals. For instance; we talk about sports till the cows come home, but avoid subjects like:

How people should dress for church...
Whether or not women should preach...
What kind of music is appropriate for Christians...
Should believers go to the movies...
What version of the Bible people should read...

All these are "sacred cows" which I have encountered. We don't talk about them because we risk not being popular with the herd. If you don't think you have any, let's talk a little longer; they will eventually pop up in "real" conversation. It's just a matter of time.

What we do with "sacred cows" will determine if we are detoured on the course, damaged or even worse. Maybe the result will be more positive. We can kill them together do a little barbecueing, share some jerky, drink some milk and be done with that cow altogether.

Let's try it, it may be a real "mooving" experience.