I Know My Sheep

Last week, more than 2,000 sheep with jangling bells and shepherds dressed in traditional Spanish clothing replaced the usual gridlocked traffic in downtown Madrid. In a ceremony known as the Fiesta de la Trashumancia, shepherds guided their sheep to the capital for a ceremonial payment, then on to more southerly pastures for winter grazing.

The nominal fee paid in exchange for the animals' safe journey through traditional routes honors a 1418 agreement that set the price at 50 maravedis al millar: 50 coins per thousand heads of livestock. To honor Madrid's rural heritage, the festival was started in 1994 and now attracts thousands each year to watch the sheep and enjoy traditional folk music and dancing.

The festival draws its name from the word transhumance, which references a transition of livestock from high pastures for summer grazing to lower pastures for winter grazing. Shepherds began the journey this year at Casa de Campo, the city's largest public park, made their way to city hall for the traditional payment ceremony, then moved the merino sheep towards the city's edge and to the pastures beyond. This year, more than 100 goats joined the 2,000 sheep. (For more details and photos, visit the BBC News here; and for a brief video of this year's event, look here.)

While the Fiesta de la Trashumancia pays homage to Spain's ancient seasonal herding routes, the image is also wonderfully biblical. Jesus reminds us in John 10 that he is the good shepherd, guiding and caring for his sheep with a love that transcends human understanding. And we, his sheep, follow because we know his voice:

I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me— just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep.~ John 10:14-15

Transhumance is a French word derived from the Latin "across" + "ground." What will your transhumance be this year? When will you allow Jesus to move you from one pasture to another, preparing for a new season and trusting his voice as you travel down foreign roads?

Christ's peace to you this week,

Jennie