Do you ever have the experience where you see or hear the same idea over and over again from different sources, all in a short time? In the past day, the legend of the two wolves was referenced in the devotion in our weekly staff meeting and in the mystery I’m reading. If you’re not familiar, the legend puts the human struggle between good and evil in the context of two warring wolves living in one’s heart. One wolf is made up of anger, envy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego. The other wolf is made up of joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion, and faith. The wolf that wins the fight is the one that is fed. We know this concept from many Christian contexts, too. Martin Luther talks of us being both saint and sinner. In Paul’s letter to the Romans, he laments “For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing.” Romans 7:19.
While all of those versions resonate with me in one way or another, the wolf story struck me with the idea of being fed. There are so many aspects to being fed, physically, emotionally, and spiritually, and all of them can play a factor in the daily struggle to do right by God and our fellow people. The Church is all about feeding and being fed. We are fed in worship, through Word and song, and as we are welcomed again and again to Christ’s holy table.
What an everyday miracle it is that through service we are both fed and feeding others. Often, we provide actual food, through Feed the Need, our garden, Hands Against Hunger, and Holiday Meal Boxes to name a few of our programs that provide nourishment. But often, we feed both body and spirit through our gifts of food. When a parent who has lost their job comes to the church door looking for a way to put a meal in their little ones’ hungry bellies, they need one of our care bags full of soup and directions to the food pantry, but they also need to be spiritually fed by the respect and kindness of whoever happens to answer the door that day.
The idea of feeding and being fed can play out anywhere. When Lord of Life did our Lenten study on Love Languages last year, I discovered how much I express love through food and hospitality. I learned this love from my family. We laugh about how you cannot arrive at another family member’s house without being offered something nice: a nice cup of tea, or a nice sandwich, a nice cold beer - always served with the admonishment to relax. What a joy to be a source of comfort and nourishment to others.
Sometimes you get the opportunity to roll it all together. At Couples’ Bible Study, we take turns providing a meal for the group. We talk and laugh through dinner, sharing and caring for each other. Then we dive into Scripture, learning together.
How about you? Fed anyone lately? Are you being fed? Which wolf is winning?
Yours in Christ,
Cara Hasselbeck (she/her/hers)