The Purple Cow

The little town I grew up in Montana is home to a unique little family owned restaurant named the Purple Cow. They have t-shirts and there is even a poem composed many years earlier about the purple cow. I have never heard of another restaurant named like this until recently, but I have found that most anyone who passes by Hardin, MT on the interstate takes notice of this restaurant amid all the other chains that are present. The purple cow poem by Mr. Burgess goes as follows: "I never saw a Purple Cow, I never hope to see one; But I can tell you, anyhow, I'd rather see than be one."

Those who have a marketing background understand the Purple Cow principle that was written by Seth Godin. The principle of this analogy is that in order to be successful you must find a way to stand out from those around you. By standing out, you will arrest people's attention and cause them to look at what you offer.

As I read about my Jesus, my Rabbi, I find that he was the "purple cow" among the herd of Rabbis in His day. As I read about him choosing his disciples, I wonder what it was that caused James, John, and Peter to notice him and to leave all they had previously known? In Matthew 7:29, it says that "...people were astonished at his teaching, because he taught as one having authority, and not as the scribes." What was it that caused their attention to be arrested? Jesus goes on to teach in John 13:35 that "...ALL will know you are my disciples, if you have love for one another." He expects our actions toward one another to arrest people's attention and cause them to identify our actions with His. Lastly, we see in Revelation 1 where His glory arrested the attention of the 'disciple whom Jesus loved', yet we are promised in Haggai that the glory of the latter will be greater than that of the former. We, His Bride, His Church, His Chosen are supposed to be “purple cows”!! We are supposed to stand out and arrest the attention of the world, who is comatosed by lust, greed, and evil. We are meant to be seen!

I wonder, do people take second glances at you and I? Do people see us any different than the others they see every day? My heartfelt prayer is that we, His Church, would no longer try to look like the world, but that we would have the courage to be like our Rabbi and stand out from among everyone else. Truth is, I would like to see a "purple cow" in our society, but I pray, even more, that I could be one - just like my Jesus.