(Third in a series of three posts… maybe four)
“The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Against such things there is no law. 24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. 26 Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.” – Galatians 5:22-26
I do a lot of work with men of all ages. They are not as strong and courageous as some might believe and that’s just the tip of the iceberg… and in fact they are a lot more confused about their role in the world than most will admit… So… one of the stories I use in group work is to share the words of a wise grandfather to his son’s son… a requirement of native American grandfathers it seems… saying… “you know son… there are two wolves living inside each of us… constant in battle with each other… one wolf is good… the other is evil…” The young boy is intrigued and asks… “which one wins?” to which the grandfather says… “the one you feed…” this being an integrated truth of native American wisdom… yet for all of us for that matter… each person being free to choose how to live and at the same time acknowledging there is a code to which one strives for… along with a list of behaviors to avoid… much like the 10 Commandments of ancient Judaism or the ‘beatitudes’ of Jesus or the writings of the Koran or those espoused by Confucious…
Thus… the native Americans have a code in which to feed and focus on… going by the names of “the seven grandfather teachings” or “the seven sacred teachings”… realities that I believe are helpful to all and counter many of the images of native Americans I grew up with… watching the old westerns and Hollywood’s version of pointing the finger of aggression on those who occupied this land long before my 5 times great-grandfather got to New York in the late 1760’s…back to Columbus and that list goes something like this…
Love. Love it is said is a gift from the Eagle… and knowing love is to know peace… not loving only those like us but loving those least like us…
Respect. Respect to the native American is witnessed in the Buffalo… a quiet yet strong trait lived out individually but in the community of the herd. One receives respect when one gives it.
Courage. Life is faced with courage when one uses their own personal strengths to address adversity. It is akin to our word… ‘amen…’ to stand fast and hold one’s ground. The bear stands to carry courage in the face of danger…
Honesty. This is the inside version of outer truth as one cannot participate in the truth without remaining honest. Treaties are made and broken with honesty at the core. Native Americans know.
Wisdom. The beaver carries wisdom… it is the gift of the Creator to all and to be used for the good… coming in all shapes and sizes and ages… requiring a listening to and a paying attention to elders and leaders present as wisdom is shared…
Humility… is to recognize that we are a part of a larger creation… and being fully human is to understand who the God is in the center of that creation. The lone wolf carries humility… always on the lookout for everything else offering the respect the creation deserves…
Truth. The turtle carries truth. It is slow but relentless. Where would the world be without truth? Truth is the needed thing required to go through life in order to act without regret…
It is true the native Americans did not always live in peace with one another while attempting to live in harmony with the world granted to them by the Creator. Europeans saw this… but what troubles my heart is asking why it was so difficult for those who came to these shores to notice these teachings were so much like the ones brought with them!
The Rev. Dr. Brian K. Gigee is a long-time resident of Pearland, having pastored four churches over the last four decades in Texas and Louisiana. Read more following Brian’s blog ‘murmurings’ at https://briangigee.wordpress.com/. Send comments and/or questions to godworks247365@gmail.com.
