An Easter Story

The Shepherd’s Dog

“Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.” John 15:13

Sunny could easily recall the cold Christmas morning when he was placed outside The Shepherd’s hut, just a newborn puppy. His fluffy, white fur made him almost impossible to distinguish from the snow that lay piled up outside the hut. The Shepherd took an instant liking to the young dog, whom he figured would make a good sheepdog. Sunny was given to a bitch who could raise him and teach him how to be a good sheepdog. Sunny, however, needed no teaching. He was a natural leader. He didn’t chase the sheep; the sheep followed him. He didn’t really notice, though, it was as if he expected them to simply follow him, which he did. It was apparent, to anyone who had been around Sunny for very long, that he seemed to understand more than the other animals. In fact, he knew some things that no body else did. He saw more, smelled more, listened more, and would often just sit and stare off towards The Shepherd, waiting for additional instruction. There had never been such an attentive herder.

And yet for all of his obedience, his insightfulness, his perfection, he could not stop the events that seemed to draw him in.

In the distance a thunderclap echoed around the valley, bouncing off the hills, and stampeding down their grassy slopes. The sky became darker and, though it was only late in the afternoon, it was as though the blank depths of night had enveloped the land.

Sunny watched from a distant hill as Jewels approached the center of the flock of sheep. Their pungent smell didn’t seem to bother the scruffy looking dog as much; he wasn’t as cleanly as Sunny. In the center of the herd stood the huge figure of Fair-Sight, the ram. Sunny watched as Jewels began to speak to the ram, and their voices seemed to echo in his mind.

“What will you give me if I give him to you?” Jewels asked Fair-Sight quietly. His black and white coat was camouflaged with the dirty sheep.

“Twenty,” was the ram’s reply.

“Forty, he’s The Shepherd’s favorite.”

“How about thirty? I can’t believe I’m arguing with you about this, you puny, flea-bitten, drooler.”

“Very well.” After collecting his prize, Jewels walked away from the flock of sheep looking smug. Sunny watched him go towards the barn where dinner was about to be served. Sunny silently followed suit. Although his insides felt cold and distant, he could feel The Shepherd watching him, and he knew he was not alone in his suspisions.

Sunny trotted over to where John and the others were waiting for him to join them. He could feel the sense of quiet that comes before the storm, the still contemplation before the battle. Before the dogs commenced their meal, he stood to speak to them.

            “My fellow sheepdogs, I feel that I must leave you soon. And I don’t want you to forget me…”His statement was interrupted by a chorus of howls.

            “Master, why are you leaving?!”

            Sunny looked down and as he spoke a hush fell over the crowd of dogs, “I fear I am to be betrayed.”

            Peter howled, “Master, if the flock of sheep conspired against you, I alone would stand by your side.”

            “Oh Peter, your words are empty, although your intentions are pure. You would deny me three times in the time it takes the rooster to crow.” Peter was shocked at this statement and said nothing in response.

            “Master, would I do such a thing?” asked Jewels quietly.

            “Perhaps if you have to ask, you already know the answer.”  He was solemn as he replied and Jewels looked down. “But, as I said, I don’t want any of you to forget me, what I have taught you, or done for you after I leave.” He paused.

“Look at the food that sits before us. If I could, I would sacrifice myself to feed you, to save you. Whenever you see food, remember that I would die so that you could live.” The sheepdogs thought this a rather strange statement, but it was a common thing to hear Sunny use such enigmatic references.

“Look again at the water we are about to drink. If I could, I would suffer anything to give you water that you could drink so that your thirst would be quenched and your bodies cleaned. When you see water, think of how I would suffer anything for you.”

James looked at his food, thinking of how it would be to eat Sunny for dinner, and his appetite was quite lost. “I am not sure I understand…”

“You will. For now, just know that you should always remember me.”

Just as the dogs were about to finish eating, a shrill call echoed out over the valley and the sheepdogs began to feel the first drops of rain. Together they ran across the rolling hills, howling a song of bitter joy at the work facing them.

Sunny and the other sheepdogs worked perfectly together. It was almost a dance, with the tom-tom of rain, and the musical yips and barks ringing out over the Highlands. The dogs felt the rush as they raced around and around, their tired muscles pumping towards the finish, wherever it was. Endure, endure, to the end, to the end. Soon the sheep were gathered in for the night, to rest in the shelter of a warm barn. The Shepherd saw the sheep into the barn and then walked up towards the hut.

Sunny crowded into the barn with the other sheepdogs and the sheep. The stench of wet, dirty sheep offended his sensitive nose, but Sunny didn’t move to leave. It was his job to watch the sheep, and he would take full responsibility for this. Soon the sheep had huddled together and the dogs joined in their corners to watch the sheep. Peter, John and James lay near Sunny and quickly dozed off.

Sunny felt empty without The Shepherd’s watchful gaze. He tried to find that other part of his conscience that was always connected to The Shepherd, the Master. It was silent in his mind, as though it had turned its face from him.

Suddenly a violent wind shook the fragile barn. The support near Sunny shook and threatened to collapse. Sunny was standing in a flash and ran over to the thick, decaying beam. A piece of rotted wall fell outward letting a frightening gust of cold rain into the barn. Sunny knew what he had to do. He leaned against the beam with all of his weight, which wasn’t much, and somehow managed to hold up the beam from crashing to the ground. It took only a few moments until his small muscles began to quiver… shake… spasm beneath him. The shear weight of the support should have been enough to crush him. Somehow he held on. He sobbed as he felt one of his canines splinter under the power of his clenched jaw. The bitter taste of blood filled his mouth, but he had not the strength to swallow. All of his power was absorbed by the beam that was slowly crushing him.

A burst of wind and rain flooded through the crack that had formed in the wall, drenching Sunny in icy water. He almost welcomed the drips of pure water as they ran down his snow-white coat. To try to take his mind from the pain, he thought of how every drop of water that ran over his skin was enough to wash all of the sheep that ever were and all of the dirt they ever bore in their coats.

Soon the wind changed directions, just for a moment, and Sunny called out to James, Peter, and John, who had not woken yet. “Peter, can’t you help me with this? Please don’t fall asleep, I need your help.” But Peter did not wake and Sunny was forced to continue to hold the beam as the wind changed directions once again.

By this time Sunny was shivering with the icy water which had clumped his feathery white fur. He was beyond exhaustion. He felt that he held the entire flock on his back, their lives were supported by his small figure, which was the only thing standing between them and being crushed in the damp, crypt of a barn. Once more he tried to wake his sleeping fellows, to no avail. Sunny stayed standing, thinking to the three, ‘Sleep on now, and take your rest. ‘

Just as Sunny’s legs were beginning to collapse beneath him, he gave a final heave and righted the faltering beam. Amazed and exhausted he collapsed to the ground.

Somewhere in Sunny’s mind he could feel the presence of The Shepherd returning. It was as though the sun had formed a blanket with the sky and covered his weakened body with it. Sunny gathered his strength and understood, as he always had, his purpose. Watch over the sheep. Take care of the sheep. Love the sheep. Die for the sheep. His life was not yet done. His work was not yet finished.

As opened his eyes again, Peter, James and John were just waking. It was still night, and although the wind had stopped, the rain continued to drip down outside. In front of the dogs stood Fair-sight and the other rams, and off to the side, stood Jewels. Sunny felt his exhausted body shake beneath him, but no pain could compare with what he had suffered. Something in the ram’s matted dirty face told Sunny, that this would be a final punishment.

“Show us your awesome master, Jewels,” Fair-sight commanded. “Give him a kiss from me, because my neck doesn’t seem to reach down for enough that I can do it.” Jewels trotted up to Sunny and licked his black nose.

“Thank you Jewels. Your work is done here and you may leave now.” Jewels slinked away as the group of rams surrounding Sunny. Peter ran forward and charged the nearest ram, biting his ear clean off. Sunny sighed.

“Peter, I must go with them. It is my time now.” Peter backed away sullenly and the group of sheep tried to herd Sunny away. Although he did not fight them, he was almost too weak to stand, and he struggled to walk.

As Sunny moved away from Peter he watched him carefully, wishing that he could understand. Peter stood in shock and watched him walk away. Before Sunny was out of ear shot, he heard a small sheep come up to Peter and ask, “Aren’t you one of the dogs that herds with Sunny?”

Peter was annoyed and quickly replied, “No. I’m not.” Another lamb approached and asked, “Aren’t you the one that cut off my daddy’s ear trying to protect the white dog?”

“No, I’m not.” And before a third sheep could ask him, Peter quickly said, “I do not know this Sunny you speak of, I am just a sheepdog.” Sunny hung his head in sorrow and waited for the fated cry of the pre-dawn light. Just as he predicted, the rooster crowed, and with one last pained look towards Sunny, Peter collapsed in despair.

The rams led Sunny to another part of the barn where Cry-Face, the ancient ram stood. It was this ram that usually decided who would be sacrificed to the wolves, so they would not attack the sheep for the coming year. Cry-Face began to question Sunny.

“What have you taught the sheep about not following the rams? What chaos are you preaching to the sheep?”

“Why don’t you ask them? I spoke openly.” One of the rams kicked Sunny’s bruised back. “If I have said something wrong, tell me, kicking me won’t resolve anything.”

Cry-Face became frustrated and told the other rams that he could not do anything to condone Sunny, but that they should take him directly to Pilot and demand his death.

            Sunny felt sorry for the poor sheep, that didn’t understand his job. He was their protector, their leader, their savior, and they didn’t understand.

The group of sheep walked Sunny over to the far corner of the barn where a small door faced the forest. Normally, this door was guarded by Jewels, but he had disappeared. On the other side of the doorway stood a hunched figure, a wolf. It was Pilot, the Alpha wolf. The rams backed slowly away, in awe of the wolf’s size and power.

“Do you know why you are here?” Pilot’s deep voice vibrated out of the darkness.

“I am here because the rams did not have the means to kill me, but you do.”

“Is that so? Haven’t you made yourself a leader of the flock? What gives you a right to be better than The Shepherd?”

“I rule in The Shepherd’s stead. That is my purpose, to die protecting the sheep.”

“What is sacrifice?” Pilot muttered darkly.

He stepped out of the shadows and into the light. His voice rose to cover the noises of the sheep, addressing them all, “And you tell me that this is the one you wish to offer me as a sacrifice. I ask you, what has he done wrong to deserve such punishment? What of Barb-of-Us, hasn’t he done more wrong than this puppy?”

A voice jeered out of the audience, “He has done wrong to us and we want him dead. We are better of with a thief than a dog that thinks he is a man. I say kill him!”

“YEAH! KILL HIM!”

“MAKE HIM SUFFER.”

“What do you say, Sunny, shepherd of the flock?” Pilot growled, “It doesn’t matter to me. You’re just dinner.”

Sunny was silent.

A chorus of cries arose and drown out Pilot’s menacing words. The sheep were baying their death chants and the rain picked up pace against the roof.

“Very well. His death be on your wool.” Pilot’s pack filled in the barn and surrounded Sunny, forcing him out into the rain.

Sunny knew it was over and gave himself to them. He had no need of his life if it could not be used to watch over the sheep. With this simple thought, Sunny surrendered to the flesh ripping pain, the sharpest of teeth, the longest and blackest of nights. They would leave nothing behind, nothing but his white fur, neatly arranged on the grassy hill.

One of the sheepdogs nosed through the underbrush. She picked through all of the scents, still finding nothing that smelled like Sunny. She sighed. Looking up to the crests of the hills she watched where the first rays of the sun beamed out over the valley. Immediately the light rested upon her and she felt it’s warmth spread to her whole body. She closed her eyes and as she opened them she could see, far off, the form of a small white dog making his way towards the sheep.