The Lion’s Whisker

The Lion’s Whisker

Long ago in Ethiopia, a woman married a widower who had a son. Her joy was great when she went to live in the home of her new husband, for she longed for a child. But the child refused her affections, saying, “You are not my mother.” He refused her cooking, tore her mending, and turned away from her kindness.

After some times, the sorrowing woman decided to seek the help of a wise hermit who lived on the mountain. “Make me a potion,” she begged, “so my step-son will love me as I love him.”

“I can make such a potion,” he said, “but the ingredients are very difficult to obtain. You must bring me a whisker of a living lion.”

The woman went away in great distress but determined not to give up. That night, while her family slept, she crept out of the village to the edge of the desert carrying a bowl of meat. She knew that a great lion lived near some rocks quiet a distance away. She walked under the night sky as close to the lion as she dared. Hearing him roar, she dropped the bowl and ran back home. Again the next night, she sneaked from the house with a bowl of meat. She walked farther into the desert until she could see the form of the lion on the distant rocks. She set down her bowl and ran home.

Every night she drew closer to the lion before setting down her bowl and fleeing for home. Every night the lion ate food. Finally one night, after many weeks, she places down her bowl and stepped back but did not run. She watched the huge cat come slowly forward and eat from the bowl. The following night, she placed down the bowl and did not move away. The lion came slowly forward and began to eat from the bowl. She reached out and stroked his fur. He made happy sounds in his throat. “Thank you, dear friend, “She said and carefully snipped a whisker from his chin. She moved slowly away and then ran all the way to the wise hermit’s hut.

“I’ve brought you the whisker of a living lion,” she called, running into his hut. The hermit was sitting before his fire. He took the whisker and examined it closely. “You have indeed,” he said, and dropped the whisker into the fire.

“What have you done!” she cried. “That was the whisker for the love potion. You don’t know how hard it was to obtain. It has taken me months to win the trust of the lion.”

“Can the love and trust of a child be harder to obtain than that of a wild beast?” he asked her. “Go home and think on what you have done.”

The woman returned home and slowly, with love and patience, won the trust and love of her step-son.

To have hope is to believe that history continues open to the dream of God and to human creativity.

To have hope is to continue affirming that it is possible to dream a different world, without hunger, without injustice, without discrimination.

To have hope is to courier of God and courier of God’s people of good will, tearing down walls, destroying borders, building bridges.

To have hope is to believe in the revolutionary potential of faith, is to leave the door open so that the spirit can enter and make all things anew.

To have hope is to believe that life wins over death.

To have hope is to begin again as many times as necessary.

To have hope is to believe that hope is not the last thing that dies.

To have hope is to believe that hope cannot die, that hope no longer dies.

To have hope is to live.

By Missionary Sisters of St. Charity.