Sheep Among Wolves

When Jesus sent out his disciples,
He told them they were like
Sheep among wolves, one of those
Ubiquitous Christian statements
That has ceased to have meaning.

Stop. This terrifies me.
Wolves can stand six feet on hind legs.
They travel in packs, armed with
Teeth, claw, and cunning.
They decimate flocks.

And the Good Shepherd, known for
Green pastures and quiet waters,
Sends out his sheep into
The world of wolves.

What?

And then, to make things even more
Confusing, they were told to be
Shrewd as serpents and harmless as doves.

I can do harmless as doves. How precious.
But also be shrewd as the personification of Satan?
And somehow the combination shrewd-
Harmless helps the sheep from the
Ravening predators?

The closer I look at this instruction,
The more I think I’d prefer to stay home.