Regarding Omens

I read on Sunday that a white buffalo had recently been born. I immediately wondered about its significance, either to me personally, or on a bigger scale.

A white buffalo is an extreme rarity. So their births are seen as portentous. But beyond that, among many indigenous American peoples, the white buffalo is a sacred omen of renewal, a powerful symbol traced back to legend. Among the Lakota (and I think other tribes, but I'm not expert), there is the legend of the White Buffalo Woman. She was a beautiful woman who appeared and taught the people many things, and when she was finished she turned into a white buffalo and disappeared. So in the years since, whenever a white buffalo is born it is seen as a sign by the tribe; a special holy event. There is going to be a special naming ceremony for this particular buffalo at the end of the month.

But the ominous nature of it was greater for me when I read that this particular buffalo was born to a farmer in Goshen, Connecticut. First, Connecticut seems an even more unlikely locale for an already unlikely event. And secondly, I cannot shake the significance of the name Goshen. That was the region of Egypt where the Israelites settled, were ultimately enslaved, and Moses was born. For the Lakota, a white buffalo is almost like the second coming of Christ. Add that with Goshen, a name calling to mind the rising of Moses, and I wonder if there is some reason for this. I don't hold to the truth of American legend, but this time I can't help wondering if it is an omen of some sort. Or was it simply something that I was meant to see; a sign to me personally? An indicator of good change finally coming?

It may not mean anything and may be purely coincidental. But I was gladdened to read this news on Sunday because it felt important. Whether it is or not, I know at least that the Lord does work in mysterious ways...