The Wolf You Feed and How
29 October 2004, 6 am | Observation, Poser
A Cherokee elder sitting with his grandchildren told them, “In every life there is a terrible fight—a fight between two wolves. One is evil: he is fear, anger, envy, greed, arrogance, self-pity, resentment, and deceit. The other is good: joy, serenity, humility, confidence, generosity, truth, gentleness, and compassion.” A child asked, “Grandfather, which wolf will win?” The elder looked him in the eye. “The one you feed.” (via Daily Dig)
When I read the story above, I immediately thought of Peter Kreeft’s book, Back to Virtue. In it, he explores the idea that the Beatitudes are the antidote to the Seven Deadly Sins:
Pride vs. Poverty of spirit (humility)
Avarice (greed) vs. Mercy
Envy vs. Mourning
Wrath (anger) vs. Meekness and peacemaking
Sloth vs. Hunger and thrust for righteousness
Lust vs. Purity of heart
Gluttony vs. Bearing persecution
And then I thought of that one line in the Lord’s Prayer:
Give us this day our daily bread.
Makes one wonder, which wolf am I feeding? And maybe more importantly, how?
![[image: 'Smiling Jesus']](http://journal.cowpi.com/grafiks/sidebar/smiling-jesus2.jpg "'Smiling Jesus'")
![[Jerusalem Cross with Heart]](http://cowpi.com/journal/grafiks/jerusalem-cross-heart.gif "Jerusalem Cross with Heart")
Comments
I saw this very same analogy in a movie last night I was watching called “The Missing” where Tommy Lee Jones plays a man who has adopted the ways of the Indian, and in facing a ‘brujo’ — evil medicine man, to rescue his kidnapped granddaughter, he is asked this question about the evil ‘dog’ and the “good’ dog and which one will win, and he says “Depens on whichever one I’m feeding the most”.
Hmmm it is interesting how similar messages come to me on here, that go with things I’m seeing in my life around me all the time lately. It’s very validating and confirming in that sense of God working through whatever means he can and does for His message to get through.
∼ πλ · 29 October 2004, 11 am · by Fish ¬
I liked the story!
∼ πλ · 30 October 2004, 10 pm · by Anita ¬
— Sorry, no more comments may be added. —