Pearls Before Swine

Todd Hayen

During these perilous years, I have often been reminded of the scripture from Matthew 7:6-7. Here is the New King James Version:

Do not give what is holy to the dogs; nor cast your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you in pieces.”

Although I personally believe the “Shrew’s Message” is holy, I am sure many may not wish to put such a divine spin on our efforts to seek truth regarding vaccines, corrupt government, and constitutional freedoms.

However, I think most will agree that the description “pearls” matches close enough as a metaphor for truth, and that swine could easily symbolize sheep, which, of course, symbolizes the masses who seem to be concerned more with things other than truth and human dignity.

Another more secular take on the verse from scripture is: “Never try to teach a pig to sing, it is a waste of your time, and it annoys the pig.”

Same thing, really, just a funnier way to look at it.

So, what does this mean?

I have not met a shrew yet who did not have a huge heart. I have met many, and it does seem that the common denominator amongst us is our connection with soul, with love, and with the divinity of life (so much so that we do not fear so much the loss of the physical body, because “being” is more than that). Now, I don’t mean to imply that there are no sheep fitting the same description I give the shrew. There are many, and I know those heartfelt attributes amongst many that make up the fuzzy, furry herd as well. But I have also met many sheep who are indeed heartless, selfish, and terrified of losing their physicality. Many. But not, thus far, found amongst shrews.

This observation seems a bit odd to me. Of course, there are always outliers, so don’t attack me if you know a heartless shrew or two. I am sure, for example, there are many angry shrews, and many shrews as well who are fed up with the stupidity and heartlessness seen out there in the sheep world. That all stands to reason. But as a general observation, shrews are lovers. And as another general observation, shrews believe beyond the material or “seen” world. Many, if not most, are believers in God (or some sort of Universal Mind). I believe these common denominators are reliable indications regarding one’s shrewness. Do you?

If so, what are the pearls we possess? What is holy amongst us that we wish to share with all? And does Matthew 7:6-7 make sense to us? Or does it seem cruel and un-Christ-like to withhold what we find holy and sacred from those who trample and spit and gnash teeth?

I believe that what shrews hold that is holy is their tenacious clinging to truth. Deception and lies send a shrew into an alarming spin. And it just goes against their nature to not cast these pearls before the swine of blindness, indifference, and ignorance. Are we trampled and torn to pieces? You bet we are. Or at least we have been in the past. I know many of us have given up casting out our pearls in our effort to show our love for the world and humanity. And I know many of us have only received as a response the trampling and the tearing to pieces Matthew warns us about.

But how do we know what we cling to is actually truth? Take the vaccine, for example. The sheep say it is our duty to take it and say from the beginning that it is a miracle of modern science and that it will effectively and safely rid us of the current scourge of disease. Why aren’t they right? Why isn’t their statement truth and ours just hysterical selfishness?

I have always said that the scientific inadequacies of the Covid vaccine, and the possibility (now a certainty) that the jab is physiologically dangerous, are not the primary reasons I believe we are speaking truth when speaking out against it. It has always been for me the methods they have used to convince us to take the shot that has shown, without doubt, that what we call truth is, in fact, truth. The coercion, the false promises, the censorship of dispute and criticism from the medical and scientific community, the obvious disregard toward children’s health in their efforts to vaccinate them, not to mention the utterly inhumane treatment of those who chose not to be vaccinated—ridicule, denigration, disgust, loss of job, loss of medical treatment, left to die, told to die, careers destroyed…This is why I know what shrews have said is truth—and what the agenda has said is deception and untruth.

So, I still come full circle back to Matthew. Why should we not shout from the mountain tops the injustice of these unholy acts? Well, like most scripture, Matthew 7:6-7 can be left to interpretation. A key element in its wise words is what exactly we are casting our pearls before—dogs and swine.

Both beasts are inhuman creatures. Obviously, this is not to be taken literally, but the implication is important. And the verse does not clearly say to not do the casting, but that there surely will be consequences (do not do this unless you also expect this)—trampling and tearing into pieces. In other words, if you cast anything holy to dogs and swine it will be trampled upon, and you will be torn to pieces. It doesn’t say not to do it at all—it is a warning, just be aware.

However, that said, maybe we shouldn’t do any casting after all. We have tried our best to pull the innocent from the fire, and they have proven to not be so innocent. Maybe the aforementioned second non-canonized proverb is to now be considered—our casting is a waste of time, and creates annoyed pigs, ahem, sheep.

But alas, we are good shrews, and thus good people. We are very sincere when we wish for a healthy, aware and conscious, community of people who put love first, and consider hate a very distant competitor. Maybe casting is not the right idea, maybe there is a better way. And maybe the dogs, sheep, and pigs, will begin to reach deep inside to again discover the holiness of their humanity. Maybe it is just a matter of time.

We are, after all, not dogs, sheep, or pigs. We aren’t even shrews. We are all human. We are all holy, and divine. We are all pearls made by the hands of God.

Todd Hayen PhD is a registered psychotherapist practicing in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. He holds a PhD in depth psychotherapy and an MA in Consciousness Studies. He specializes in Jungian, archetypal, psychology. Todd also writes for his own substack, which you can read here