Once upon a time, there was one flock of sheep and one good shepherd. One sheep strayed into the dark woods and a few others paraded in his footsteps. The good shepherd pursued the lost sheep, but the flock continued to segment and scatter.
Bob said, “I like the good shepherd, but I can’t stand Tom because he talks to loud.”
James replied, “Yes, Tom is loud, but you know, Kate never stops singing. Every day these words ring through my head. ‘I know a song that gets on everybody’s nerves.’”
Each group left and continued to divide as their dislike grew exponentially. There was no longer one flock, but a thousand.
Only a few remained who understood the good shepherd’s desire that all His sheep love Him and love each other. Night and day he would tell them, “I have other sheep that have wondered off. I must bring them back so that they can hear and listen to my voice. There is only one flock, and only one good shepherd… If you really love me, you will love one another.”
As Jeremiah put it, ““Sometimes we want to say, ‘I like the good shepherd, but I don’t like your sheep.’ It would be like saying, ‘I like you, but I don’t like your wife.’ If you love the good shepherd, you must love the sheep, because we together belong to Him.”