Sacred cows

The saying “sacred cows” is about beliefs or traditions that seem untouchable. Things that no one questions because they are so firmly established that they feel almost sacred.

In our work as missionaries, we receive a huge number of questions that shake these kinds of “sacred cows” to their foundations.

Occasionally there are people who mainly want to provoke, but the vast majority of questions come from a sincere desire to know what God says.

Very often, those questions surprise us as well. Sometimes you think you have an answer yourself, but as soon as someone truly asks for clarity, you realize it’s better to dive back into the Bible. Then we postpone the conversation and search together with the Bible in hand for a reliable answer.

And then something often special happens with the questioner:

  • Sometimes it turns out that someone thought something was forbidden, while God has absolutely no problem with it.
  • Sometimes the Bible confirms the doubt that was already there.
  • And sometimes people discover that something they thought was fine is actually not good in God’s eyes.

In such moments, a sacred cow falls. A belief that seemed untouchable suddenly turns out to be incorrect. That can feel uncomfortable, strange, or even painful. Because what you have been taught from a young age in your culture, or what you have always assumed, turns out not to be the truth.

But precisely there lies the space for God’s truth. It requires openness from the people we speak to, but just as much from ourselves. Time and again we learn that God is not the strict bogeyman some think, but a Father who wants to protect us. When He forbids something, He has a reason: not to restrict us, but to set us free.

And every time such a sacred cow falls, people very often—remarkably often—breathe a sigh of relief. Where there was oppression, there is now space. Where there was fear, trust appears. And where God seemed like the bogeyman, they suddenly see a loving God.

John 8:32 “Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

Which sacred cows might you be carrying with you? Do you dare to place them alongside God’s truth? And if His answer turns out to be different from what you always thought… will you choose to hold on to your belief, or will you open yourself to the truth that truly sets you free?