Do you remember the Biblical analogy that we are like sheep needing a Shepherd? It turns out that a community of sheep and their integral social interaction actually mirrors a healthy family unit!
The sheep …
- form home groups and home ranges and willingly remain there.
- teach the lambs the invisible boundary lines.
- are easily corrected.
- recognize human faces and those of fellow sheep.
- can differentiate the emotional states of other sheep and humans through reading their faces.
- recognize and respond to their names.
- have problem-solving abilities.
- remain in constant visual and verbal communication with others.
- have 360° panoramic color vision, which is also binocular.
- maintain visual contact and communication when grazing.
- constantly monitor their position in relation to others.
So the Biblical analogy that we are God’s sheep and Jesus is our Shepherd is significant.
- We are to recognize our home range and willingly remain there.
- We are to teach our children the boundary lines.
- We are to maintain close verbal and visual communication with each other.
- We are to recognize, interpret, and address the emotional states of others in our midst.
- We are to continually maintain an awareness of and communication with others as we graze.
- We are to keep looking up to see where our Shepherd is so that we can continually position and orient ourselves to Him.
We know His voice. We recognize His face. We see clearly.
How Young Children Learn 