I’ve never been fond of dragons. Okay, not exactly dragons per se, but more dragon lore in general. It just has never been my thing (Don’t tell my daughter who loves the How to Train Your Dragon franchise). Anyway, Friday was the Feast of St. George, a day recognized and celebrated by many faiths, both Christian and Muslim alike, and the story of George the Saint is a story about dragons. Today’s post is going to be about dragons – words I never thought I would write.
Growing up in the western United States I thought St. George referred to a city in Southern Utah that had a McDonald’s we’d always stop at on our way to Idaho to visit extended family. As I got a bit older and wondered who the city was named after, I am humiliated to say that I thought the city must have been named for George Washington. After all, I’ve been a George Washington fangirl since I was really little, so it made sense in my mind. At some point as an adult (no, this isn’t embarrassing to admit) I finally heard that the city of St. George was named after the St. George, the patron saint of England and other countries. Well, that ruled out being named for George Washington, haha! However, that understanding of which George did nothing to help me understand what made George a saint or why he was so revered.
This year I decided to finally figure out exactly who George, later sainted, was. What I discovered was amazing! I seriously like St. George and decided that he’s going to be my patron saint from now on. I mean, my grandfather was named George (though he wasn’t much of a saint) and therefore I have a connection, right?
Anyway, here’s the very briefest summation of what we know of George (I apologize to all historians for this very short-shrifted account).
George was probably a Roman soldier and definitely a Christian in the earliest days of the faith and his parents were Christians of Greek and Palestinian origin. George, it is believed, served in the elite Roman Praetorian Guard under the rule of Emperor Diocletian (cue the scary music). Diocletian decreed that he would not allow any Christians within his ranks, unleashing what became known as the unfathomably horrific Diocletian Persecution. The moment George refused to recant his beliefs under this command he was slated to become a martyr. Whether he was tortured extensively or put to death quickly is debated, but it is believed that he was killed on April 23, 303 A.D. His name quickly became listed amongst the great martyrs of the time, and he became known as one of the so-called military saints. Accounts of his posthumously appearing to military leaders before major battles helped ensure that he became the premier military saint. If you want more information than this then I recommend reading about him online. I’m just giving the barest bones to whet your appetite!
As to the legend of the dragon, it seems that George was fighting in Libya when it came to his attention that there was a fierce dragon threatening a kingdom there. The dragon’s hunger had been filled for some time with two sheep a day, but the time came that he demanded human sacrifice and a lottery was held. The king’s daughter was unfortunately chosen to be given to the dragon, but just in time George showed up, went out, and slayed the dragon before its evil hunger could be sated. The king was so overjoyed by George’s actions that he offered him a significant reward of jewels and monies. George rejected the reward for himself but instead distributed all the proffered riches to the poor (or he married the princess, or was given eight oxen, or… For the purposes of this post we’re going with version where he gave his reward money to the poor). The people were so moved by George’s actions that the entire kingdom converted to Christianity.
A couple thoughts stood out to me from this legend. First, George didn’t wait to be asked. He saw the need and went out to solve the problem. Second, he didn’t slay the dragon to save his own life – he slayed the dragon to save others. Third, instead of accepting the well-earned reward, he used that to bless the lives of others. Third, his actions strengthened the faith of those who were involved.
I really like this legend!
Ever since I read the details of the legend the other day I have been fascinated by the thought of dragons that need to be slayed. I started thinking about the people I associate with and what their particular dragons might be and how I could bless their lives by helping to slay them. I’ve thought about the dragons of loneliness, ill health, mental illness, hurt feelings, economic troubles, impacts of prejudice, etc. There are dragons all around that could easily destroy people’s lives if left unchecked. I had to ask myself, what can I do to help alleviate the danger?
I’m not exactly the bravest person in this world and I don’t have the resources to help in many large ways, but there still have to be tools at my disposal that I can use to help. I concluded that yes, I do have weapons that I can use to help.
The first way to help with dragons, I decided, is to acknowledge their existence. We need to be proximate enough with people that we recognize the needs. We need to believe people when they share their experiences and care enough to actually help. Pretending that dragons aren’t there isn’t going to allow for victory. Recognizing the difficulties people face and trusting that if they knew how to solve them on their own they would, is a major first step. I’ve often heard people say of another person’s trials that they just don’t believe the trial is as real, as major, or as dangerous as the person feeling threatened says. This downplaying of dragons is a good way for whole kingdoms to be wiped out! It also is an easy excuse to keep ourselves out of the battle.
Another important step in defeating dragons is in not judging. It’s easy to think that someone should just move out of a dragon’s danger zone instead of allowing themselves to perish by said dragon, but we don’t know the full story. There are reasons – valid reasons – that people don’t escape on their own. Suggesting that people should just pick themselves up by their proverbial bootstraps and either defeat or escape the dragon(s) facing them is not helpful in actually solving the problem. There is a dragon. It is threatening. It is fierce. It can kill or, at a minimum, seriously injure. It’s important as an outsider to help face that dragon and help save those in danger. We can help find longer term solutions later, but for now we need to just SLAY THE DRAGON. Support, love, strength, empathy, and caring are the implements we have to help someone survive and we need to use them all.
After the dragon has been vanquished it is important not to just pat ourselves on the back for our great deeds. Not only does that come across condescendingly, but it also makes it so that other people don’t feel safe asking for our help when they are staring into the eyes of dragons themselves. Sharing our wealth of blessings and love instead of glorifying in our own greatness will allow others to find strength in both themselves and in us when facing dragonesque trials. They’ll trust that our support will be for the right reasons and they’ll therefore allow us to help with future problems.
Facing a dragon is frightening and overwhelming. Richelle E. Goodrich said, “There are trials in life that feel as tremendous as a quest to slay dragons. These trials are daunting. They require hard work, determination, and courage. But when the dragon is finally slain, the relief is immense.” Most dragons are difficult to face alone and we have great opportunities to help those standing in the path of such fearsome beasts. What joy we can feel as we, by wielding the sword of loving support, help rescue those in danger! And as we come to the aid of others we help strengthen their faith in Christ and draw people closer to Him by our example and our love. If God is love, then what better way to exemplify His charity towards His children by helping save those in need. I’ve seen this enough in my own life to recognize what a truism this is.
St. George is literally a saint. His legend might not be so literal, but its imagery can be a valuable reminder of our important role in ridding the world of annoying and difficult dragons. Letting princesses (or anyone else, for that matter) be destroyed does not help the world become a better place. Only as we help those around us successfully navigate the maze of life’s challenges will we find real peace. And so now I say, To arms! Let’s go slay some dragons!
Note: Finding St. George & the dragon music isn’t easy. You can choose from a few options below (or none whatsoever): 80’s rock by Toto or classical music by Sir Edward Elgar or a comedy (I highly recommend the comedy, for what it’s worth). Enjoy!
Look to God and Live... Joyfully! 