THE GRECIAN GADFLY

As Socrates was being led out to be executed, he saw his wife weeping and asked her, “What makes you weep?”

She replied, “How could I not weep, when you are being killed unjustly?”

Socrates, in turn asked, “What? Do you prefer that I be killed justly?”

What was Socrates being punished for anyway? Theft? Murder? No, it was worse than that: he asked too many questions.

     Socrates described the Greek city-state of Athens as a thoroughbred that had become fat and lazy and himself as a gadfly sent to sting it and wake it from complacency. This he did by questioning authorities and challenging axioms. Of course, horses don’t appreciate being stung and slap their tails at flies in order to kill them. As he neared death, Socrates was unconcerned about himself, but lamented the state of the lazy horse. He feared Athens would simply slap him, go back to sleep and lose its prominence in the world.
     There are times when the church gets lethargic and needs gadflies to challenge her to fulfill her mission.  One such gadfly was Joshua Himes.  Read about him in Pioneer Profiles.