The flock: we can either have a shepherd who tends his flock and keeps them happy, well fed, healthy and safe. But a shepherd can also train his flock with strength. Life isn’t going to be all safety and rest. It will have hardship as well. We, as a flock can also be trained in strength, defense and even combat. At least this is what I could see as a potential goal of the body of Christ. A pastor could baby his flock along, exerting all the fruits of the spirit, but skirting problems that arrise to avoid conflict, or he could train that group of people to take the bad situations head-on and grow strong from them. Just a thought…