Embrace the Dragon

I'll admit right off, I'm stealing this from the website Cancer Crusade. I've used several of their items before, often meditations that they send out to the folks on their e-mail list. The Cancer Crusade founders are really wonderful, and they obviously bring great comfort to a lot of people (including a couple that I know in the support group).

I was looking at their site this weekend, and I saw this piece called "Embrace the Dragon," written by Kathy Cawthon, who founded the site with her husband Roger. It's a nice call to arms when we need a call to arms.

The original is available at their website's "Library" section.

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EMBRACE THE DRAGON

"You gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You must do the thing which you think you cannot do." -- Eleanor Roosevelt

According to legend, Shaolin temple monks had to endure an agonizing test of endurance and courage in order to achieve the level of master. They were made to strip naked and embrace a branding vessel that had been emblazoned with an image of a dragon. The resulting "dragon scar" was proof that the monk could face and overcome his fears.

Many people refer to cancer as "the beast," and being diagnosed is often compared to "facing the dragon." Cancer is indeed a terrifying diagnosis to receive, and it is little wonder that the first instinct for many of us is to turn away, to say I can't do this, to be paralyzed by fear.

But I wonder if we might do better to consciously employ a different technique, that of embracing the dragon, and by doing so, to tame the beast and finally defeat it.

One of the earliest stories in which someone who is threatened by a dragon makes use of this technique is the story of St. George. George (not a saint yet, of course, but just a tribune in the Roman army) came across a maiden who was being held captive by a dragon. The dragon was hiding nearby (they're sneaky that way), and the maiden - quite understandably - was weeping. When George asked her why she was crying, she urged him to "quickly mount your horse and fly less you perish with me."

Of course, the brave tribune stood his ground and asked of what she was so afraid. Just then, the dragon emerged from its hiding place and the maiden screamed (maidens did a lot of that back then). George, however, made the sign of the cross, uttered a brief prayer (it is often necessary to be brief when facing dragons), and advanced on the dragon. Brandishing his lance (don't worry; you won't need one of these), he transfixed the beast and cast it to the ground. He instructed the maiden to pass her girdle (I don't think "girdle" meant the same thing in those days) around the dragon - note that she "embraced" the dragon! - and to fear nothing. When this had been done, the dragon followed her like a puppy!

George and the maiden then led the dragon into the town it had been terrorizing. The people fled, but George called them back and told them they no longer needed to fear the dragon because he had been sent to deliver them. After much celebrating and baptizing, George smote off the head of the dragon.

While we as cancer survivors are not required to face down a fiery dragon (and I for one am very thankful for that!) or do any actual smoting (again, grateful!), we can learn a powerful lesson from the Shaolin temple monks (no branding vessels required) and St. George. By turning and facing "the beast" head on, showing no fear ("fake it 'til you can make it") even when your knees are knocking and your heart is pounding, and maybe even shouting "Bring it on!" above the dragon's roar, we can tame it enough to embrace it, not with affection, mind you, but in an act of power and control.

In yet another bit of dragon lore, it is said that by embracing a dragon, you absorb a bit of its heart and its courage. And who among us couldn't use a little more of that?

Dear God, I find that I must face the beast called "cancer," and I am more afraid than I have ever been. I can and will stand up to this enemy, Lord, because I know that You are behind me as I move forward into this fight, and if I fall, it will be into Your arms. I know, too, that You are in front of me as my shield and beside me as my sword. Whatever the outcome, I will prevail because You are mightier than any evil or hurtful thing,and because I am Yours. Amen