If Hongkongers are sheep, how far will Leung Chun-ying go to protect his flock?
Frank Ching says if Hong Kong people can really be described as sheep, then Leung should be prepared to take on the role of a good shepherd
The animal sign of the lunar new year that we have just entered is not controversial in Chinese, since it is simply called the Year of the Yang, or "Yeung" in Cantonese. But in English, there has been a huge controversy over whether it should be called the year of the sheep, the goat, or perhaps the ram.
The debate has brought in linguists, historians, archaeologists, folklorists and cultural experts, many of whom have weighed in on the side of the goat.
To Chinese people in general, it seems, it's not a big issue. Why bother to differentiate between sheep and goats? The Chinese character doesn't, just as the Chinese language doesn't differentiate between singular and plural, past and present tense, or male and female (until Westerners came along).
So far, theologians and religious scholars don't seem to have played a substantial role in the furore, which is a pity given the wealth of biblical material on the difference between the sheep and the goat.
After all, Matthew's gospel says that on Judgment Day, Jesus in all his glory will divide the sheep from the goats. He will put the sheep on his right hand and the goats on his left. The former will be destined for eternal bliss and the latter condemned to hell and damnation. So it seems the difference is pretty crucial.
Of course, sheep and goats represent good and evil people, who will receive their just deserts in the afterlife. But the Bible more than once talks not only about sheep, but about Jesus as the Good Shepherd, who will, if necessary, lay down his life for his flock.
Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying, in his New Year message, which was delivered in Chinese, doesn't differentiate between sheep and goats.
However, the official English translation uses "sheep" and describes sheep as "mild and gentle animals" that live "peacefully in groups". Leung exhorts Hong Kong people to "take inspiration from the sheep's character".
It is true that sheep are mild and gentle animals, perhaps too much so. That is why there is the expression of someone going off "like a lamb to the slaughter", blissfully unaware of his fate.
But the goat isn't necessarily much smarter, as reflected in the term "scapegoat", where the animal is made to bear the responsibility for others' wrongdoing and, in fact, suffer in their place.
In his message, Leung calls on the people of Hong Kong to "pull together in an accommodating manner to work for Hong Kong's future". Unfortunately, Hong Kong people behave more like cats than sheep, going off in different directions.
The chief executive may not be consciously putting himself in the role of shepherd. But, in a way, it is indeed his job to look after the welfare of the sheep, the people of Hong Kong.
Hopefully, he will do the job well and put his flock's welfare above his own. No doubt, there will be no need for this shepherd to go so far as to lay down his life for his flock. But, metaphorically speaking, that is the other side of the bargain with the community.
