NO HURT, NO HARM: Wolf and Lamb

 

“The wolf lives with the lamb.” Words I became aware of fifty years ago in the early months of my life as a Pallottine, words that found resonance in me like they were part of the essence of my vocation, expressing something of the identity for which I was chosen. 

Wolves fascinate me – all that is wild and free, native and instinctual. Or perhaps it is the idea of the wolf that I like because I would surely be petrified if confronted by one. But they speak to me in some way and of course the wonderful passage from Isaiah chapter 11 expresses something that I dearly yearn for - the return to the peace of Paradise, the harmony of Eden which comes with Jesus the Messiah.

 

The wolf lives with the lamb,

the panther lies down with the kid,

calf and lion feed together,

with a little boy to lead them.

The cow and the bear make friends,

their young lie down together.

The lion eats straw like the ox.

The infant plays over the cobra’s hole;

into the viper’s lair

the young child puts his hand. 

About eight years ago I became aware of the wolf that is within myself, that has always been there – the instinct which lashes out and strikes others to hurt them -  a disturbing realization of my own destructive forces. It concerned me greatly and, when I prayed about it, the Lord kindly brought to mind the prophecy of Isaiah – the wolf lives with the lamb – restoring hope to what was becoming hopeless. 

What a relief to realize that as well as the wolf there is a lamb within and the two forces come together in peace. Jesus is the Lamb of God whose gentleness, stronger than all strength, tames the wolf. It is in the surrender of the wolf to the Lamb that true peace is arrived at, the surrender of the self to God. 

And it is very  important that we all face the wolf within ourselves and not deny it or try to bypass it. There is the story of the wolf of Gubbio that terrorised the people there to the extent that they would not leave their homes for fear of their lives. Saint Francis was asked to help so he went out to meet the wolf, made a connection with it, understood two things about it – firstly, that had been abandoned by his pack because he was injured and no longer able to hunt and, secondly, that he was hungry and so needed to kill farm animals and even people in order to live. Francis communicated with the wolf, telling him of the fear he had instilled in the people and asked him to give up his attacks. The wolf agreed by placing his paw in Francis’ hand and then Francis persuaded the people to feed the wolf so that he would no longer need to kill. The people agreed and so peace was restored. They and the wolf lived like this for two years until the wolf died. 

The lesson that Francis teaches is that we need to understand the reason for our own anger, need to find ways of getting it to lay itself down with Jesus the Lamb of God, to surrender to the Lamb who will restore peace. 

The harmony, reconciliation and peace that is promised is what I pray for in society and in every person; praying that Jesus will heal the wound within us that is often the source of the erupting anger that lashes out or lashes oneself from within. 

"They do no hurt, no harm on all my holy mountain, for the country is filled with the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea."