‘You know I never realized that being a Christian made you rich,’ Sammy Sheep said. ‘When I began in the pasture, the Shepherd was always nearby,’ Sammy S recalled. ‘We sheep were quite similar and hard to tell apart,’ Sammy S continued. ‘Days were filled with reverence for our new vocation to be led by the Shepherd,’ Sammy S mused. ‘Evening we spent around the campfire listening to the tales of the pasture,’ The Shepherd spoke of. ‘Shepherd had a bass resonant voice that sounded like a mixture of turtle doves and rushing waters,’ Sammy S smiled. ‘Shepherd spoke of lands flowing with milk and honey and the wolf lying down with the lamb and nothing would make us afraid,’ Sammy S said with a tear in his eye. ‘We had Sunday dinner between church services, and there was fried chicken and apple pie. We ate our potluck in the church pews and laughed, oh, how we laughed at the hope before us,’ Sammy S recalled. ‘The old and young had Sunday Dinner together with no generation gap,’ Sammy S said. ‘There was such a feeling of love in the little white church with the humble pews and them being full of poor people,’ Sammy S said softly.

‘I remember the Shepherd singing so powerfully it seemed angels were singing with him,’ Sammy S sang softly. ‘Nothing good have I done to deserve God’s own son,’ Sammy S sang. ‘Then…we wanted more and saw our friends and neighbors getting more…More, please, we said to the Shepherd,’ Sammy S. listened as if hearing the old pleadings. ‘Many of the sheep left looking for riches and approval and validation of their abilities,’ Sammy S said. ‘Soon there was a resplendent pasture full of cantelopes and pomegranites and fine houses and soft downy sheets,’ Sammy S said softly. ‘There were new voices…there were different voices,’ Sammy S. noted ruefully. ‘Money had become the Golden Ticket just like in Willie Wonka’s Chocolate Factory, Sammy S proclaimed. ‘Riches and abundance, a full lauder and two fine cars showed the Shepherd’s approval of real Christians,’ Sammy S. said as he walked away.

‘What is your politics?’ asked Mega Church Preacher. ‘We believe God is richly blessing our political/religious beliefs and not the falsehoods of the other political party, MCP said boldly. ‘Our members drive Cadillacs and Lincoln Continentals, and we live in the best neighborhoods in town,’ MCP said. ‘ We require a 20% tithe and many special offerings,’ MCP said. ‘We also want to study your financial portfolio to ensure that your level of financial giving is correct,’ MCP noted with seriousness of purpose.

‘Let’s not stop for the beggar,’ Priscilla said. ‘We are already late for our lunch with the Ravencrofts,’ Priscilla added. ‘He is dirty and sweaty and emits an objectionable odor,’ Priscilla noted as she held her nose. ‘Besides that, you must study for your message tomorrow on the abundance of God’s mercy and reaching out to the needy,’ Priscilla noted.

‘It seems that the strange sound of something like turtle doves and rushing water can now be heard across the planet,’ the Newscaster said.