A No Bull Story
This is a true story.
It was July 2019, and as was conducted annually, Pamplona, Spain had its “Running of the Bulls”. Now if you’re not familiar with this event, it involves fearless people running in front of a herd of enraged, non-castrated bulls with huge horns down a stanchioned course-way. The bulls are teased, stoked, harassed and incited to vent their infuriation and anger on anyone… or anything… in their path.
Almost annually, runners (called “mozos” or “foolish ones”) are gored and trampled or else injured to death. Opponents to the running of the bulls event contend that the bulls are emotionally abused and stressed by the jeering and poking and cruelty of the crowds. Many of the animals die from the stress, the ropes around their necks or from burning flares attached to some of the animal’s horns. Regardless, the running of the bulls festivities have wide popular support in Pamplona.
The Running of the Bulls 2019 occurred on a hot summer July 6th in much the same way that it had been occurring in Pamplona since the 14th century. Six 2,000-pound, fully-horned, madder-than-heck bulls were released down the course-way in the direction of the mozos. In the usual manner, the bulls were taunted by the mozos and the crowd along the course-way sides with shouts, spikes, thrown waste and debris and long whips.
More than one of the mozos was violently hurled head-over-heels in the air to land on the cobbled stone street or on one of the steel stanchions lining the route. Other mozos were gored or trampled. People along the sides threw ropes over some of the bulls and pulled them about. The bulls snorted, and raged at the people, and rammed the steel stanchions.
By the end of the event, all but two of the bulls were downed and paralyzed from the crowd’s physical attacks. Some had their ears and tails were cut off as trophies of the event. Later, the dead bull carcasses were chained by the horns and dragged off for disposal. The second to last living bull fell over from stress and shock on the street. Someone in the crowd, pretending to be a matador, killed the animal with a long, thin sword to the cheering masses. It was a brutal scene, but it was not over.
The last bull, also easily the largest and meanest of the animals for this Running of the Bulls, held its ground in the middle of the cobblestone street. It was
large…
heavily muscled…
head down low swaying side-to-side…
beaded with sweat…
heavy breath thick with saliva hanging below…
eyes dark and filled with a need for retribution…
Several remaining mozos and people from the crowd who’d climbed over the steel stanchion took turns on foot further tormenting the bull. The bull turned with intention, facing each of the intrepid people holding metal prodding rods, swords, torches, sticks, stones and whatnot used to further abuse the animal.
The scene was both horrifying and terrifying…
At any moment, someone was going to be gored, trampled or hurled into the air, perhaps cracking their heads on the cobblestone street.
At this precise moment, a small, old man entered the bull course way and gently walked in the direction of the bull without any seeming fear. Both the mozos and the roaring crowd watched the scene, both bewildered by the fearlessness of the man and aghast that they were about to witness a gory death. They moved back and away as the little old man approached the area and the bull.
The bull turned, eyes ablaze, nostrils flaring, pumped with blood-fury and 2,000-pounds of muscle readied to trample. The bull charged toward the frail… a hush was heard about the crowd in anticipation of this little man’s gory demise. Impossibly, however, within about 10-feet of the little man, the charging bull slowed down to walk, approached the man and stood still. The man reached out to the bull, patted its broad neck, took one of the ropes hanging from the bull’s neck and lead the bull out of the area. They walked off together.
The crowd stopped shouting, got quiet and watched the two walk away. It was later discovered that years earlier little old man was the bull’s feeder, brusher and feeder when it was a calf. The calf, now a huge bull, remembered the man and his kindness.
I bet you were thinking this true story narrative was about a bull.
It isn’t.
It’s about a little old man.
In life, we can bring about major changes in our and other’s live if we stop, think and exercise Christ-like compassion and love. It’s also a parable about Jesus Himself.
Jesus entered ancient Judea during a time of widespread human brutality with a message of compassion, love, hope and shared peace. His message changed the world. How can we, as Christ followers, likewise change this world?
Can you think of any “bulls” in your life that though love and compassion you can bring peace?
JG