Which wolf will we feed?

Words from the inaugural prayer service:

There is a story attributed to Cherokee wisdom:

One evening a grandfather was teaching his young grandson about the internal battle that each person faces.
"There are two wolves struggling inside each of us," the old man said. "One wolf is vengefulness, anger, resentment, self-pity, fear... The other wolf is compassion, faithfulness, hope, truth, love..."

The grandson sat, thinking, then asked: "Which wolf wins, Grandfather?"

His grandfather replied, "The one you feed."

There are crises banging on the door right now, pawing at us, trying to draw us off our ethical center - crises that tempt us to feed the wolf of vengefulness and fear.

We need you, Mr. President, to hold your ground. We need you, leaders of this nation, to stay centered on the values that have guided us in the past; values that empowered to move us through the perils of earlier times and can guide us now into a future of renewed promise.

We need you to feed the good wolf within you, to listen to the better angels of your nature, and by your example encourage us to do the same.

Rev. Dr. Sharon E. Watkins
Sermon: Harmonies of Liberty
Isaiah 58:6-12, Mt 22:6-40
National Prayer Service; January 21, 2009

Links to the entire sermon:
In text:
http://www.disciples.org/OfficeoftheGeneralMinisterandPresident/NewsandUpdates/HarmoniesofLiberty/tabid/483/Default.aspx

For audio or video, try here:

http://www.nationalcathedral.org/presidents/service.html