Thankfully born in a barn
Who among us has not repeated, or in my case been asked on multiple occasions, “Were you born in a barn?” My mother asked me that many times as a kid and, from first-hand experience, I can tell you the correct answer is not, “Well, I don’t know. You were there.”
A quick search of history and origin will find that the saying was in reference to leaving the barn door open so animals could return.
However, the Urban Dictionary has an updated meaning, “More recently, it has been used to simply indicate that a person is ignorant or uneducated, as if they were brought up on a farm.”
One more stab at life of growing up on a farm where it now equates to being a simpleton. Honestly, with every passing day life as a “simpleton” becomes more attractive to me. The problem is our kids never want to be viewed that way, particularly by their peers.
Clearly it is on my mind now because this is the time of year when we gather with friends and loved ones to share in the joy of eternal salvation that was granted to us by a baby that was literally born in a barn—Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
I continue to marvel at the parallels between the birth of Jesus in that manger and life on a farm today. Every single aspect of the Bible has a setting like the farm life we still enjoy. I often wonder how the “higher class” urban folks relate when so many of the stories of the Bible involved sheep, cattle or fish.
While I may pursue that angle at some point, today I am focused on the truth. The absolute truth. Last Sunday our pastor spoke of the Bible as the only source of absolute truth. Even right here for this column, I referenced a quick search of the internet to find the origin of a saying that everyone is familiar with.
It is no secret that in today’s overload of information we have more access to “facts” than at any time in the past 2000 years. The problem clearly lies in sorting the cull facts from the truth. So instead of using your favorite search engine, should we all search the Bible for those facts that are on the tip of our tongue?
Last week I was a very small part of project put forth by the Lignite Energy Council. They identified 20 teenagers to be part of a leadership/ambassador program not only for resource providers but also for North Dakota.
Before our video conference, each of these kids responded to a questionnaire. Overwhelmingly, they indicated they did not believe the information presented by major media or information they found on their social media accounts. However, when asked where they turn for current issues and topics of the day they answered by saying they used the very same outlets they previously indicated they did not trust.
I don’t believe this is the case with just these 20 teenagers. I think it reflects the opinion of most of our society today. We are provided so much daily “fake news” that at some point folks will believe nothing they read or hear. That, to me, is where the birth of the baby in a barn comes back into play.
It requires a ton of faith to be in farming today. Only with faith can a cattleman plan matings or a farmer plant seeds and expect a bountiful harvest. We know that one blizzard or one hail storm can eliminate all of it in an instant. I believe that is exactly why those of us in rural America, those of us who were “born in a barn,” continue to have the absolute faith it requires to continue working to improve human lives and the world around us.
Thanks to the baby born in a barn so many years ago, we have that guiding star giving us hope and faith that the path we are on is the right one regardless of how many false signs of direction come our way.
On behalf of the Loos family, I would like to extend best wishes for a very Merry Christmas and a faith-filled New Year to all of our loyal readers and friends. May your celebration of the season be filled with love and fellowship.
Editor’s note: Trent Loos is a sixth generation United States farmer, host of the daily radio show, Loos Tales, and founder of Faces of Agriculture, a non-profit organization putting the human element back into the production of food. Get more information at www.LoosTales.com, or email Trent at [email protected].
