Tuesday, February 24, 2009

Of Teleology

The athletic track behind the high school, down the street from my home isn't unique. Oval, rubber surface, eight lanes and a grass infield. Ordinary. But only on the surface.

On top of the surface, where we dwell, we the athletes ply our trade. We run. And, we are anything but ordinary.

Because we run.

We run out of motivation. From a stop we put ourselves into motion. We run as a result of causality.

We run with purpose. Driven are we. Using our bodies as the means of instrumentality.

We seek the finish line. From the first step of causality, through churning legs, pumping arms, and burning lugs of instrumentality we reach finality.

Finally.

Only by understanding the end-purpose, the teleology, does the first step, and every step afterwards make sense.

Where will these athletic endeavors take me? The answer doesn't live in introspection or self-evaluation because these things look inward. The real answer is in outward living. By surrendering to the telos (the end result) and investing myself in the truth (the logos) will running in ovals make sense and value.

Why do you swim, bike, and run? Look to the end for the answer and the sound of the starting cannon becomes more than the beginning.

Stay tuned...

1 comment:

Kevin D. Washburn, Ed.D. said...

LOVE this! Great thoughts nicely expressed—may be the best explanation of "Why?" that I've read. Keep running and writing!