The Napoleon of Notting Hill is a delightful G.K. Chesterton story about a man who for a joke gathers together leaders of various London neighborhoods and tells them they are to regard their neighborhoods as countries. All know it is joke, except for the chap from Notting Hill. He takes the man seriously and forms a country complete with flag, army, and do or die patriotism. The politico hardly knows what to do with him.
I’ve met the Napoleons of the latter days of Lutheranism. I met them on a flat, barren piece of land outside of a town of less than 400 people. (more…)