Dangers, Toils, and Snares

The dragon without St. George ceases to be menacing and grotesque. But St. George without the dragon ceases to be heroic and iconic.

Nefariography

It is said that economics is the “dismal science.” And as long as it limits its vision to such artificial matters as share prices, stock futures, budget deficits, and consumer price indices rather than productivity, property, and preparation. It is indeed more than a little dismal.

But perhaps more dismal than the business of economics is the business of nefariography--the study of wicked men’s lives. Researching and reading the likes of Pilate, or Caiaphas, or Judas--or for that matter, Freidrich Neitzsche, or Karl Marx, or Richard Wagner, Horace Mann, or Margaret Sanger, or Pablo Picasso, or Pol Pot, or Yassar Arafat--is a bit like circling with Dante the sulfurous realms. It is rather like playing the role of CSI to history’s most malignant and vicious intellects.

Nevertheless such dismal undertakings are not without peculiar merit. That is because when any one of these madmen ascend the lofty soapboxes of art or science to announce their I-am-you-and-you-are-me-and-we-are-all-together-joo-joo-ga-joob profundities, they afford us great lessons we dare not ignore (as per 1 Corinthians 10:1-13).

Sunrise 5K and 1M

The Franklin Classical Track and the Servant Group Running teams participated in the Sonic Sunrise 5K and 1 Mile runs this morning. It was unseasonably cool. Nevertheless, everyone was able to do personal bests--even the aged among us--and one of the FCS speedsters actually grabbed an age-group second place! As always, we were able to raise yet more money for our schools overseas. A good time was had by all.