Riding For The Brand

Riding For The Brand

Being a flatlander, I had much to learn when I moved to Montana. Big city ways do not sit well in the small towns of the West. Probably the hardest was learning to slow down. The pace and lifestyle outside the metro is slower and more casual than I was used to. Now I only wear a suit and tie at wedding and funerals.

What I found most interesting is that there is a Code of the West. Although never officially written down, it came into being with the civilizing influence of cowboy life. The code, a way of living, was handed down by word and deed, and became the law of social behavior. It included the following: respect yourself and your neighbor, accept responsibility for your life, be a person of your word, be fair in all your dealings, and be a good friend and neighbor.  It was common sense at its best.

Another expression of the West I find interesting is “Riding for the Brand.” Louis L’Amour made this phrase famous in his western novels. One writer says, “…riding for the brand meant you signed on to the mission, that you had committed, that you were a dedicated team player.” The brand was the symbol burned onto the hide of cattle that identified their owner. When you rode for the brand, your loyalty was to the rancher who paid your salary. No lone rangers here.

I see a similarity. When I came to the place where I could not longer fend for myself and was in need of a savior, Jesus was there to take the reins of my life. What he did for humankind on the Cross empowered me to say yes to him. I continue to have a lot to learn about living this new life as a Christian. The Bible says that we are not our own; we have been bought at a price, the price of the Cross.

When I hear the words “riding for the brand,” I know that the brand is the Cross. It is a reminder that I signed on to the mission, that I have made a commitment and that I am a team player. By his grace I hold on for dear life because it is quite a ride.