(Creating Tomorrow)
There are two opposite directions our lives can take that produce two opposite tomorrows – both personal and social.
One is called good. Good is an existence that affirms one’s own worth and honors the worth of others. It abhors the degrading of others. It is willing to sacrifice one’s own self for the sake of the common good.
The other is called evil. Evil seeks to affirm one’s own worth by dishonoring the worth of others. It is unconcerned about the degrading of others. It is willing to sacrifice the common good for the sake of one’s own self.
Every human gives their primary life energy to one or the other. The combined result of a citizenry’s gifting creates the character of all community from that of two people to that of cultures and civilizations. Ultimately, the collective of good creates life and generation while the collective of evil creates death and destruction – announcing human destiny.
The forms of governance that represent these polarities are the good of democracy and the evil of despotism. Democracy is devoted to the good of the ruled while despotism is devoted to the good of the ruler. And the valuation or dis-valuation of human worth is the measure of their strength.
This battle between good and evil is the human story. Which will finally prevail is a decision that each of us makes daily in all of our choosing. At this moment, the ultimate outcome of this battle is undetermined but often seems more affirming of evil than good.
There is an applicable version of an ancient story that has circulated in the various tribes of Native Indians of the Canadian-American continent. It indicates what will be the final outcome of this struggle between human good and evil. A grandfather relates to a grandson that he has two wolves fighting inside him. One is black and one is gray. The black wolf wants him to exhibit all the qualities of evil such as hate, revenge, lying, cowardice, and murder. The gray wolf wants him to exhibit all the qualities of good such as love, forgiveness, truthfulness, courage, and compassion. The grandson pondered this for a few days and comes back to his grandfather with this question: “Which of these wolves will win the fight?” The grandfather replies: “The one I feed.”
We are inundated daily with news about the activities and victories of the black wolf. Right now, it is ensconced in despotic nations that would rule the world through human degradation – killing indiscriminately and destroying the natural environment. Our news media reveals its face of horror on a daily basis. The spirit of democracy appears to be declining everywhere. The black wolf seems to be growing fatter. We hear its constant howling.
But that is not the whole picture. The local television stations of my city daily expose their viewers to the good that people are doing – their acts of kindness and sacrifice made on behalf of others – a constant display of honoring mutual worth and achieving the common good characteristic of democratic devotion. A lead reporter of one station raises money each week for some worthy cause in the larger community and begins by matching the first contributions of up to $250 out of his own pocket. Over the past several years, during the pandemic, he has raised over 8.8 million dollars for common good causes. Such exposures are the sound of the grey wolf howling.
Here is my assessment: Yes, there are many people who are the black wolf’s face and they get a lot of our attention. However, if the grey wolf were not as devoted and powerful as the black wolf then the human enterprise would have gone down the drain a long time ago. That is reason to celebrate for it speaks to a powerful devotion to the common good. And that prompts me to invest in hope over despair.
But which wolf will finally prevail? It will be as it always has been:
THE ONE WE FEED!
Robert
Robert T. Latham
mythinglink.com
Thanks, Robert, for reminding me about The One We Feed. It is so easy to feel enveloped by despair. Your column shines a light on a better, empowered path . I agree that newscasters try to end with a grey wolf story but lately all the black faced wolf news is overwhelming. Remembering that the grey has prevailed in the past is a buoy to hold on to.