I like cartoons. Mickey Mouse. Donald Duck. Woody Woodpecker. Road Runner. The Coyote. Porky Pig. Bugs Bunny.

"Hey, what’s up, Doc?"

"W-Well, I guess w-what attracts me to cartoons is th-that so many of th-them are about animals th-that behave l-like human beings."

Well said. Thanks for your perspective, Porky. It’s so true. I laugh when Donald Duck gets flustered about something. His reactions are so human-like. It’s funny to watch the Road Runner bait the trap for the Coyote. I get a vicarious thrill every time he falls off a cliff. His fixation with the Road Runner causes him to lose touch with reality. The Coyote is so stupid sometimes - just like us humans.

On the flip side, however, there is a grim reality - humans behave like animals. Sly, like a fox. Proud like a peacock. Stubborn, like a mule. Waiting to strike, like a snake.

One begins to wonder if there is anybody out there who truly has the best interests of others at heart. Are there any candidates? How about someone who behaves like a sheep?

Recently, I performed a wedding ceremony one a large party boat. It was a fancy schmancy, black-tie event that cruised out of Baltimore’s Inner Harbor. During the course of the afternoon, I met a fascinating man. He was in his late fifties. He had sparkling eyes that communicated a mixture of hard living and boyish mischief. I primed the pump and sat back to listen to this self-made man I’ll call Taylor.

He had a no-nonsense, rough edge to him. With spicy language he told stories about gun deals he had made with anti-government, terrorist-type men in Central and South America through the years. As a pilot with a private plane, Taylor had carved out quite a niche for himself in the seedy underworld of on-the-edge-of-your-seat danger and millions of dollars. It didn’t take long for me to realize that his life experience was excellent grist for the movie mill. It was almost unbelievable.

" I was in El Salvador doing a deal." He said. "We all had pistols stuffed in our belts. I knew that anyone of those men could blow me away in an instant. Yet I felt safer there than if I was in the main street of my hometown. I turned to those guys and pointed to each one saying, ‘Listen, I’m an s.o.b., you’re an s.o.b., you’re an s.o.b., you’re an s.o.b. and you’re an s.o.b. Now that we all know what we are, let’s do business’"

Taylor laughed enthusiastically and then paused. He looked intently into my eyes.  "Joel, it’s not the s.o.b’s of the world you have to watch out for," he said. "You always know where you stand with them. It’s the do-gooders you have to be careful about. They’ll smile to your face and then stab you when you turn your back."

What Taylor said that day has made me think. When viewed from an earth-bound perspective, his philosophy holds up to the test of reality in many ways. I don’t know about your experience, but most of the raw deals I have encountered in life have been perpetrated by the type of people who are prone to slap "I’m Not Perfect, Just Forgiven" bumper stickers on their cars. It could almost make me a semi-paranoid, constantly-looking-over-my-shoulder type of guy. Cynical. Always searching of the dark, shadowy side of people.

I have looked into the tearful eyes of pastors whose reputations have been smeared by other pastors. I’ve talked with business people who have been stiffed by Christians promising to pay their bills. People involved in street ministry have been burned time and time again by ex-cons that got jailhouse religion.

And something saddens me even more when I consider all this. I have hurt people in the name of Christianity. I have been a perpetrator of heartache. It is almost frightening to realize my own capacity when it comes to evil. Like Taylor said, "It’s the do-gooders you have to be careful about."

What’s Lurking Under the Sheepskins…

Human beings are a puzzle. Just when you think you’ve got them figured out, one of them does something completely out of character and you’re left scratching your head.

Since most of our emotional pain involves people it is vital for us to understand what’s behind their actions and words. That’s why I wrote this book. Kingdom Zoology is about discernment. It’s about you and me. It’s the product of much study and heartache in my interactions with various types of people. My prayer is that this book will provide the tools for you to deepen your understanding about dealing with those who have a destructive, evil proclivity.

To a certain extent, this book evolved from the harsh experiences with really only a hand full of people. People, who, on the surface, had all the appearances of Christian love and character, but later on caused profound damage within the church. With the advantage of hindsight, I can see clearly now that underneath those sheepskins lurked ravenous wolves. Much of what I write has been filtered though tears.

I hope, though, that I never become jaded. The vast majority of church people I have worked with have been wonderful. They love the Word, work hard and patiently put up with my many flagrant displays of immaturity and zeal. Most Christians are terrific people!

My prayer to God through the years has been something like this: "Lord, please protect our church from wolves, pigs, serpents or goats. Just send sheep. Sleepy sheep. Happy sheep. Neurotic sheep. Wounded sheep. Noisy sheep. Boring sheep. Backslidden sheep. White sheep. Black sheep. Well, you get the picture. Thanks for listening."

This book is not written from an ivory tower of perfection. I am hopeful about God’s gracious work in all our lives. We should not fear taking risks with people who seem to be wolf-like. Nor should we be self-conscious in our relationships with others. It is important, however, for us to be aware of the fact that there are distinctive differences between people when it comes to the motivations of the heart.

If at times my words seem to take on a judgmental tone, remember that behind these sentences beats a merciful heart. It has been said that the most ardent evangelists of the good may be those who have had close encounters with evil.

I like sheep, but sometimes, even sheep have sharp teeth.

1. Do you, like Taylor, feel that "nice guys" can be the most dangerous? If so, how has that affected your opinion of people in general?
2. Have you noticed "wolf-like" tendencies in yourself? Are you tempted to justify any shortcomings with excuses borrowed from "dog-eat-dog" philosophy (e.g., "You’ve gotta look out for #1" or "Nice guys finish last")?