Out Our Way: Following false trails - Mark 8:34-37

Out our way, I am always amazed at how many cow trails there are up on the Tiger Ridge. Most run parallel to each other so clearly all the various herds over the years have been heading the same way. They may have started a new trail because the old one was no longer easy walking - or maybe because some slow cattle were "hogging" the road and the others got impatient - or maybe because some yearlings decided they weren't going to follow mama anymore and break their own trail. Who knows? But nevertheless. The trails all ran the same way and regardless of which trail you took, you'd end up at the water hole or main grazing grounds.

But, now and then, I would find a different trail - one that went in a totally different direction. I followed a few of those on occasion and they all either suddenly came to an abrupt end, or intersected with a trail going where all the others were going. I wondered about those false trails and what caused them to be. I decided that either I was trailing some cows who got lost and had no idea where they were going - or some really stupid ones that simply didn't have the brains to care. After all, the good trails were all headed for water and grazing - while these bogus trails were just leading away from water and into the most barren part of the pasture. Fortunately, the trails either ended (indicating the cows wised up and turned around), or they intersected with a good trail leading in the right direction. It seems eventually even the dumbest yearling wised up. Sadly, the same can't be said for people.

There have always been break away strays leading others astray and off the good trails, but unlike those yearling on the Tiger, some folks never wised up. How dumb do you have to be to not realize doing the things that destroy your life, that take you away from health, happiness and wholeness, are not the good trail? Somehow I can't imagine some yearling being so proud and full of himself as to deliberately leave the good trail simply because other cattle had been following it for years. The water hole had not moved in all those generations and the good grazing lands remained where they had always been and the barren lands never changed and produced them. There was a reason why the herd lived and prospered when they followed the good trail - and why the strays who wandered off on the false trails died of thirst and starvation if they did not realize their mistake.  

Jesus called us to follow Him and He leads to the fulfillment of life. As many wise Rabbis before and after Jesus would remind folks: "Treat others as you would be treated is the whole Law of God. All the rest is commentary." How hard is that to grasp? How hard a trail is that to follow? I find most people grasp that simple guide and follow it to their benefit and eventual fulfillment as human beings. I also find, if Facebook, YouTube, Quora, and my own personal observations have any validity - that those who follow the trail of greed, power, and self-righteousness most often seem to end up with the worst and most miserable of lives. How often do we read of some rich and once powerful celebrity or politician or industrialist who was married five times - lost connection with their family and friends over the years - ended up alone and bitter, surrounded by hyenas and jackals hungry for the scraps they threw them to keep them happy - and in the end, were eventually thrown aside by the world. Why would anyone choose to follow the trail that leads to the empty barren lands? Many people do - most cows don't. And those that do usually have the cow sense to turn around and get back on the right trail. Maybe cattle aren't so dumb after all ... especially when compared with some people in the world.

There is a way forward that leads to life ... not mere existence ... but life, full, rich and overflowing. But you have to ride the right trail to get there.

Be blessed and be a blessing!

Brother John

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The Rev. John Bruington is the retired pastor of First Presbyterian Church of Havre. He now lives in Colorado, but continues to write "Out Our Way." He can be reached for comment or dialogue at [email protected].