Karey's Overflow: St George

About Me

Name: Karey

Location: Colorado, United States

I garden at 8000 feet, cook from scratch, needle felt, read books continually, study history and epistemology, write daily, contemplate spiritual theology, and pursue heirloom arts. I love to paint pictures of living beyond maintenance -- living creatively, discovering beauty in everyday ordinary things. I've been happily married to Monte, who is a geologist, for a long time and still very much in love, even after raising a family and building two houses. Our children are our best friends. Heather is newly married to Bill. Travis, a minister of the fine arts, is married to Sarah. And Dawson is in college. I naturally live first-hand and have recently realized that this is how we educated our children and ourselves. I love to learn about everything, teach, and work with my hands. I love my home, but my life has overflowed -- as a teacher, radio/conference/retreat speaker, author, and most recently as a MOPS mentor. Kareyswan.com is an ideal way for me to share my overflowing life with kindred spirits and those hungering to move beyond maintenance -- to be known by who they are, not just by what they do.

Monday, April 28, 2008

St George

April 23 is the Feast of Saint George. I missed telling you that, and with company, I didn't put out my felt dragon like I usually do.

Because of the Revelation 12 scripture I've told you that I put a dragon in my Christmas Nativity. I pull this same dragon out for Michaelmas Day and again for the St George story.

George was a Palestinian soldier who suffered martyrdom in 303 in the persecutions of Diocletian. It's believed stories of George were brought home to England by the Crusaders. Though many variations, it's a basic tale of good and evil - of a young knight who rescues a maiden from a flying reptile with bad breath. One tale has him leashing the dragon with the princess's garter, leading it through town and converting pagans to Christianity. Or maybe he just cuts off its head.

Cutting off a dragon's head is what is often celebrated in English homes. A dragon is often made from bread dough and the children cut off its head.

What intrigues me most about St George is there's a shrine for him in the Middle East. Jews think the site is the burial place of Elias. Christians are remembering a soldier championing against the power of evil. Moslems celebrate George as a demigod who endured a series of tortures and call him "Khidir", the Green Man.

It is said that this shrine has almost more activity than Jerusalem's Holy Sepulchre. And too, there's Christians and Moslems praying side-by-side.

Labels: Calender, Christian History, My Art, Thoughts