The Wolf to Feed

I came across a quote the other day that sure rings true. It is: "I myself am made entirely of flaws, stitched together with good intentions." Its author is Augusten Burroughs from the book “Magical Thinking.” You may be familiar with Burroughs from his best seller “Running with Scissors.” In the Christian world, the fruits of the spirit are evidence of a God-filled life- love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. But being the impatient creature that I am, I try to nudge the process along. Good works can be intentional. It’s true that we don’t need a lick of faith to be filled with the fruits of the spirit or to live a Godly life, compatible with Jesus’ teaching. Faith in Jesus as a savior is altogether different and altogether sublime. But folks who don’t even believe in God, let alone the redemptive work of his Son, can and do live godly lives. I think this is because God’s imprint is everywhere, on everything, and in everyone. God is like the stardust that forms our flesh and bones and knits us together as humans, whether we perceive that or not.  Faith and trust are like muscles that grow stronger with exercise, like at business retreats where we let ourselves fall backwards into the arms of coworkers, trusting them to catch us, or like a rocker diving off the stage into the faithful arms of fans. 

The Burroughs’ quote is most likely secular in origin, yet it mirrors Jesus’s recurring message to create a Kingdom of Heaven on earth, where we love the Father and each other as best we can, and despite our flaw-filled nature. The good news is that we have help, and someone to catch us when we fall. This Scripture is from Isaiah 41:

“So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand." 

I recently came across a profound parable- not in the Bible but hanging on the wall of a knick-knack shop in a Las Vegas mall. It’s too good not to share. It’s called “The Tale of Two Wolves” and the story goes like this: “One evening an old Cherokee told his grandson about a battle that goes on inside people. He said, “My son, the battle is between two wolves inside us all. One is Evil. It is anger, envy, jealousy, doubt, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego. The other is Good. It is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, forgiveness, truth, compassion, and faith.”  The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked his grandfather “which wolf wins”?  The old Cherokee simply replied, “The one you feed.” 

Wikipedia sites the origin of the story as Native American and lists various iterations using other animals. Billy Graham published a version in the 1970s. Whatever its origins and however many faith traditions embrace similar teachings, the message is inherently Christian. Jesus consistently guides us toward a Kingdom of God on earth, with love, joy, peace, humility, kindness and more. With divine inspiration and through the Holy Spirit, that Kingdom dwells in each of us. That’s the wolf to feed. The song pairing is a rough demo of a song written, well, about a week or so ago. The paint still isn't dry: “Will You be Looking for Me There?”  

Until next time, stay safe, be brave and keep walking in the light.

Looking for Me There
Seven sweet saints
dancing on the head of a pin
I hear ‘em knocking
but I won’t let them in

I bounced around Phoenix
climbed the top of Mt. Helix
and the view sure is pretty up there
I get lost sometimes
but I don’t know how or where
Will you be looking for me there?

I’m walking worthy
most all of the time
and the times that I’m running
are the times when I’m falling behind

I come to my senses
then I lose all perspective
It can seem like I just don’t care
I get lost sometimes
but I don’t know how or where  
Will you be looking for me there?

David Brauner Copyright 2024