Wolves making a comeback

In France and Italy farmers are seeking permission to shoot wolves, and in Norway animal rights activists are boycotting lamb in protest at the limited cull of wolves that their government has allowed.

Last night, I watched Jamie Oliver cooking lamb over an open fire in the southern Italian mountains. He was helped by a traditional shepherd and shepherdess, who said the recipe had to be simple, ‘because of wolves destroying the flock. You can’t leave the herd for a second.’

Those who live with wolves know just how dangerous they are, which is why Jesus’ words should shock us to the core: ‘Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves.’

It’s their outward plausibility that makes these false teachers so dangerous; they look the same and even sound the same as the true sheep. They don’t announce themselves with a snarl, we won’t spot a stray grey hair or sharp tooth. They look just like the sheep; some may be big and strong, but others may appear weak and vulnerable. Inwardly they are still wolves.

By their fruit

So, how can we spot them? Jesus tell us it is by their fruit, which sounds simple enough, yet experience suggests otherwise.

At General Synod we heard the testimony of survivors of abuse. The wolves who groomed and exploited these men and women seemed, to many, to be model sheep and godly shepherds. For many, it was easier to ignore the diseased fruit exposed by the survivors’ complaints than face the reality that the man they knew as a sheep, was in fact a well-dressed, but ravenous, wolf.

Yet it should not have come as a surprise. Jesus warned us, Peter warned us, and Paul even underlined the fact that the wolves would come from among the apparently faithful. We may be devastated, but we should not be surprised when those who have shared the same experiences, heard the same teaching and served side by side with faithful colleagues are revealed inwardly to be wolves.

Last year, Andy Lines was consecrated as a missionary bishop to Europe by the Anglican Church of North America, on behalf of the leaders of GAFCON. During the service, he was handed a Bible, with these memorable words: ‘Be to the flock of Christ a shepherd, not a wolf; feed them, do not devour them; hold up the weak, heal the sick, bind up the broken, bring back the lapsed, seek the lost. Do not confuse mercy with indifference; so minister discipline, that you forget not mercy; that when the Chief Shepherd appears, you may receive the never-fading crown of glory;’

Perhaps it is the case that those in North America, who have experienced first-hand the devastation caused when a wolf attacks the flock, are more likely to think the unthinkable. To warn a newly-consecrated bishop of his potential to be a wolf is hardly winsome, but it is necessary, for his good and for the good of his flock. Guarding the sheep requires constant watchfulness, close examination of the fruit of people’s lives and the courage to drive away those who distort the truth.

Honest discussion?

Last month, in en, Pete Sanlon, wrote of the ‘Silent Evangelicals’ in the Church of England. His article has caused something of a stir and it will be interesting to see if it provokes an honest discussion at the ReNew Conference about how best we can protect the sheep from wolves.