Quote of the day: In Mark Van Steenwyk’s delightful parable about St. Francis and the Wolf of Gubbio, A Wolf at the Gate, Sister Wolf asks Francis, “Beggar King, why do some people eat big meals while other eat small meals…and still others rarely eat anything at all? The cows and pigs eat far better than many of the beggars on the street?” Francis the Beggar King replies, “Some people eat big meals because their hearts are empty. Some people eat humble meals because their hearts are content. And some others eat too little because nobody will share their food with them.”
Commentary: Overconsumption is not restricted to food and wine. In the last few weeks, many of us have witnessed food hording in grocery stores because of anxiety, fear, selfishness and empty hearts. Where do you fit into the continuum between consuming too much and too little? How many times do you get the balance right in your consumption of food, fuel, materials, space and other stuff?
Suggested Action #27: As you walk, discern what you truly need to consume, and what you can do without—with a sense of contentment and without a sense of loss? Metaphorically walk away from overconsumption, fear and gnawing emptiness, into a world of just enough!
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Gary Paul Nabhan aka Brother Coyote is a professed member of the Ecumenical Order of Franciscans, a graduate of the Living School, a conservation biologist, orchard-keeper and story-teller.
