Living Like Llamas

Above all the grace and the gifts that Christ gives to His beloved is that of overcoming self.                                   – St Francis of Assisi

In South America, the llama serves as a cultural metaphor for pride and arrogance. I’m not certain about North American llamas, but to keep a herd of South American llamas corralled, they don’t even have to fence them in. All they use is one rope. They just pound in some posts and encircle the herd to keep them enclosed.

Just by placing the rope at a height lower than the head, near the base of the neck, the llamas are secured in their makeshift pen. They refuse to bend even though they’re physically able to go beneath the rope. The llamas stand tall, stiff-necked and captive.

Sounds a lot like Christians. Standing tall and PROUD! Taking a STAND! Refusing to BEND. We’re still a stiff-necked bunch (Acts 7:51). It sounds a lot like Christians but not a thing like Christ. He went under the rope all the time. It’s called grace.