The gadfly and the horse

One of the more amusing images we have of the philosopher Socrates - I did warn you I liked ancient philosophy - is when he compares himself to a gadfly. Towards the end of Plato's famous Apology, he describes himself as attached to the city of Athens like a gadfly to a horse. It isn't a terribly flattering image of the great city of Athens. The horse is described as being large and well-bred but also sluggish and rather lazy. The people are so lethargic that Socrates has resorted to behaving like an annoying gnat. He buzzes around here and there, constantly trying to rouse them from sleep by stinging them.

Most of us who have been trapped in a room with an annoying mosquito are familiar with what happens next. We don't like being bothered in this way and tend to reach for the swatter. Poor old Socrates came to just such a sticky end.

The main meeting place in ancient Greece was the Agora, and it was here that Socrates spent his days. As people gathered to exchange speeches and thrash out ideas, he engaged with whoever was willing to spend time with him.

Perhaps the Agora of our own day is the internet. We may not meet face to face in the blogosphere but a similar exchange of ideas occurs every day. And like Socrates, our philosophy may not always be welcomed.

The Catholic Church has become the gadfly of our own generation, desperately trying to rouse people from sleep. Like the philosophy of Socrates, its doctrine is in conflict with the easy assumptions of society. It is a message which goes against the grain and which will often provoke hostility. We might not have to witness with our life (or we might, who knows what the future holds), but hopefully we will stand up for what is beautiful and true and be prepared to suffer the consequences.