Fulani and the Good Shepherd

You might not have had experience as a nomad herding cows. Well, most of the 10 million Fulani in Nigeria live and breath cows. Their cows are their bank accounts, their credit cards, their estates all rolled into one animal chewing the cud.

The Fulani walk. They know the trails. No GPS needed. These paths have been trod for generations of Fulani. No telling how many miles they log over a day or over a week. No backpacks. No REI equipment. They just keep moving on.

A retired bishop who lived in Fulani territory knew them well and held them in high esteem. One comment he made has stuck with me. He said that the Fulani exemplify the love of the Good Shepherd for us. Another person with long contact with Fulani said that they have uncompromising love for their cows. The reason is that they will let nothing endanger their cattle. Nothing. Such is the love they have for their cows. Like the love, the bishop was saying, of the Good Shepherd for His sheep.