Wisdom and a 3,000 mile endurance race

I've recently been reading about two men paddling across the Atlantic in a 24ft boat. An insane thing to do, but I've been amazed and inspired by Ben Fogle and James Cracknell's bizarre feat of endurance. Perhaps not surprisingly a large part of my fascination has been - how and why? I mean how and why do you decide to row two hours on, two hours off, for 7 weeks straight? How and why can you carry on when your boat has capsized, your maps are overboard, and your GPS, de-salination system, and radio stops working? How and why do I find such madness inspiring?

Whatever the reason, I might not be alone...

'Wisdom may be admired, but what really inspires mankind, what quickens the pulse and lifts the spirits, is the opposite: a display of magnificent, reckless impetuosity. It's not wisdom that wins the Victoria Cross. It's the insane dash against impossible odds. It's not wisdom that paints the Mona Lisa. Wise people wouldn't go to the arts in the first place. It's not wisdom that compels people to push themselves to the limits of endurance in order to realise some mad dream. It's a glorious perversity deep in their souls. And it's not wisdom that inspires people to risk everything in pursuit of a seemingly hoepless love affair. It's uncontrollable passion, and the existential urge to taste danger before they die.' (Richard Morrison in the Times)

Or is that just the world's wisdom? After all, there might not have been any medals given out, but for nearly two millenia art has been inspired by the epic, love-fuelled path of endurance that led Jesus to the Cross.

Wisdom? Madness? It probably depends on where your standing because while the 'message of the cross is foolishness' to some, to others it's the 'power of God'.

Even 'the foolishness of God is wiser than man's wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man's strength.' (1 Corinthians 1:25)