day no. 16,761: the saint's sword or the serpent's stomach

"That nursery tale from nowhere about St. George and the Dragon really expresses best the relation between the West and the East. There were many other differences, calculated to arrest even the superficial eye, between a saint and a dragon. But the essential difference was simply this: that the Dragon did want to eat St. George; whereas St. George would have felt a strong distaste for eating the Dragon. In most of the stories he killed the Dragon. In many of the stories he not only spared, but baptised it. But in neither case did the Christian have any appetite for cold dragon. The Dragon, however, really has an appetite for cold Christian—and especially for cold Christianity. This blind intention to absorb, to change the shape of everything and digest it in the darkness of a dragon's stomach; this is what is really meant by the Pantheism and Cosmic Unity of the East. The Cosmos as such is cannibal; as old Time ate his children. The Eastern saints were saints because they wanted to be swallowed up. The Western saint, like St. George, was sainted by the Western Church precisely because he refused to be swallowed. The same process of thought that has prevented nationalities disappearing in Christendom has prevented the complete appearance of Pantheism. All Christian men instinctively resist the idea of being absorbed into an Empire; an Austrian, a Spanish, a British, or a Turkish Empire. But there is one empire, much larger and much more tyrannical, which free men will resist with even stronger passion. The free man violently resists being absorbed into the empire which is called the Universe. He demands Home Rule for his nationality, but still more Home Rule for his home. Most of all he demands Home Rule for himself." — G.K. Chesterton, A Miscellany of Men

The difference between St. George and the Dragon is that St. George would have been happy to leave the dragon alone had the dragon been willing to leave everyone else alone. The dragon would not stop unless he was stopped. St. George had no interest in dragons other than stopping them from infringing on the interests of others. The dragon, however, had no interest in stopping himself. In fact, he may not have been able to. One of the punishments of sin is getting used to it. 

The impulse of eastern religion is to absorb, the impulse of western religion, i.e. Christianity, is to leave alone what God has divided and keep together what He has united. Eastern ohm-ism wants the null and void to envelop all. Western Christianity wants men to retain a life to lay down for their Lord. Eastern death is the end of categorical distinction. Western death is the end of individualistic distinction.

Galatians 2:20

I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

The Christian impulse is to honor men, homes, and nations by keeping them distinct, but united. The vision of Christendom is a body with different parts united under one Head. The ear does not need to become more kidney-like to join or stay a part of the body, but it has to acknowledge the unity of the body while preserving and honoring the differences and distinctions of the other parts, even the other kidney.

Christian men, Christian homes, and Christian nations are what St. George represents. Totalitarian tyranny is the end game of the dragon. The dragon would devour it all and then begin on its own tail while Christendom would tolerate domesticated dragons, provided they learned to keep their hands (and teeth) to themselves. The dragon only has room for Christians in his belly, but not on his landscape. The Christian has room for anyone who can mind his own business.

Christianity honors the saint's sword over the serpent's stomach. It doesn't look for things to stab, but it is willing and able to cut down anything that puts men on its menu.