Like Buffalo

Ever heard of the Buffalo Theory? Of course you haven't, I've never told you about it.

It's not as much a theory as it is an observation. It's quite simple really. In any herd of buffalo, there will be the strong ones, and inevitably, there will be the weaker ones, the older ones, the sickly and the very young. And being out in the wild, there will always be predators looking for their next meal from among the herd of buffalo. Lions, leopards, cheetahs, hyenas, wild dogs, crocodiles at the watering hole. They're always on the prowl, waiting to devour.

Naturally, the herd sticks together, moves together, migrates together. And when a predator strikes, it is natural for them to defend each other. But most times this is not possible, and the animal is faced with a "fight or flight" situation. Most times they choose the later. Even then, they run as a unit. Well, almost. As I noted earlier, there are always the weaker ones in the herd. And these are the ones that predators target. The rest of the herd will try and defend them, send them to the middle of the pack, while the grown males stand on the outside with their horns towards the predators. But inevitably, one will always let slip, and casualties will occur, more so among the weaker, the elderly, the infants, the injured, the sickly.

But these casualties also have a positive effect. See, with the weaker members of the herd still around, the herd as a whole is not operating effeciently. They are slower than they would be if it was just the strong ones around. But, as the weaker buffalo fall prey to the predators, the herd as a whole is left stronger than before. They can run faster, go further, until they reach the greener pastures they are searching for.

That is the essence of the Buffalo Theory. As the weak members fall by the wayside, the unit is stronger as a result. They also learn from the misfortune, and are more the wiser. I'm reminded of this theory as the church is going through the present period of persecution. We may lament the loss of our brothers and sisters, but we can look at what has occured and learn from it. And we will come out stronger as a result. You'll never know, maybe they were the ones holding you back. It's like we've shaken off the weights on our backs, and we can run faster and go further.

At the end of the day, the work of God doesn't stop. The men and women of God are still there to run with the baton and pass it on to the next person. We will walk on.