Chivalry

To start my posts on the role of different genders in society, today's post is about chivalrous behavior in men (ladies, I'll be posting about our roles as well!). This is a Code of Chivalry, something the majority of men used to follow in the Medieval Times:

• To fear God and maintain His Church 
• To serve the liege lord in valour and faith 
• To protect the weak and defenceless 
• To give succour to widows and orphans 
• To refrain from the wanton giving of offence 
• To live by honour and for glory 
• To despise pecuniary reward 
• To fight for the welfare of all 
• To obey those placed in authority 
• To guard the honour of fellow knights 
• To eschew unfairness, meanness and deceit 
• To keep faith 
• At all times to speak the truth 
• To persevere to the end in any enterprise begun 
• To respect the honour of women 
• Never to refuse a challenge from an equal 
• Never to turn the back upon a foe

I posted the whole list because all of the points are valuable, but I've highlighted in bold the three I want to talk about in depth.

1. To fear God and maintain His Church
• This is the first in the list because it is the most important. A knight should always, first and foremost, strive to bring honor and glory to his King, and to seek to serve Him in everything. Being faithful is not, as some would say, a girlish virtue. On the contrary, the most faithful person to ever walk the Earth was Christ, the ultimate role-model for everyone, but especially for men. Second to Christ in the male Saints is Joseph, who was so strong and honorable in the Lord's sight that he was chosen as Christ's foster father! A couple more examples, St. George- a literal knight-who in legend killed the dragon, St. Michael the Archangel- the warrior of Heaven- depicted as a strong, manly soldier with wings; the list is endless! These great role models of the faith were anything but feminine! When did young men develop such a dangerous misconception?
2. To refrain from the wanton giving of offence
• I chose this one because it is a problem I have seen in many teen guys. They think that cursing and the telling of crass jokes is cool, and somehow makes them more of a man. But it doesn't take a strong person to follow the crowd. No, displays of honor have always been greatly admired and helped one advance in society, and more importantly in the eyes of God. A man who speaks justly and acts respectfully is a man to be praised.
3. To respect the honor of women
•  Ah, yes! To be a gentleman! Oh, how this modern culture has ruined their young men! The feminist movement is to be blamed, in my opinion. But, for now I only want to address gentlemanly behavior. First of all, to go along with #2, nasty and disrespectful talk should never be used, but especially when in the presence of women! There used to be a law against it! Common courtesies, such as holding the door, the man taking the first steps in a relationship, the guy going out of his way to make the lady feel special, these are all things that women used to take for granted. Now, I'm overjoyed to receive even a hint of this kind of behavior! I must praise the Christendom gentlemen for this- I've never felt so respected and honored than when around the guy counselors at that college. A foul word did not enter my ears, if in need of help I was soon assisted, and I believe the male campers-as they took up the same behavior- became proud of their ability to flatter us by simply showing us consideration!

Guys, do not underestimate the power of chivalry! It is a cultural art that seems to be on the verge of being lost, but it is up to you to revive it! Take up the challenge, be a man and go against the lower standards of today's culture. Put on the armor of a knight, and learn to embrace the code of chivalry. I can guarantee that the ladies, and more importantly the Lord, will be impressed!

And may God bless all of you!

For "Code of Chivalry," click the blue words.

Picture:Chivalry- Frank Dicksee 1885.