Speak Lord, We Need Directions!

In the year 490 B.C., an historic battle took place between the Greeks and the Persians. In contemporary gambling terms the Greeks were the “underdogs” and the Persians were the “heavy favorites.” Against all odds, however, the Greeks emerged victorious at a place called Marathon and, following the battle, one man ran all the way from Marathon to Athens (a distance of twenty-six miles, three hundred eighty five yards) to report the news of the Greek victory. But the poor fellow had run so hard that, as he delivered the victory message to the people of Athens, he collapsed and died.

Harking back to this event (upon which present-day marathon races are patterned), Saturday Review Magazine once ran an amusing cartoon which depicts a rather nerdy-looking runner at the completion of his twenty-six-mile-plus run. Ready to announce the good news of victory to an expectant crowd. He says, “Uh, um … I forgot the message.” Because the messenger had lost sight of the long,…