The Adventuresome Life: An Old Pathway to a New Quest

The Adventuresome Life: An Old Pathway to a New Quest.

“Life is either a daring adventure or nothing at all.” (Helen Keller).

The Knight Errant. Someone who has taken the vow of honor and integrity as a lifestyle while traveling to wherever life takes him or her, promising to bravely seek justice where there is injustice, to defend the helpless, rescue those in distress, advocate for the needy, and protecting women because they are the bearers of life. The knight errant wanders through life declaring “women and children first!” The knight’s quest can be summed up in the words of the prophet Micah, “What does the Lord require of you, but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.” The Knight Errant is called to live a life of saving justice, to embrace the ethic of showing lovingkindness to all others, and to follow God daily with obedience, humility and gratitude. This is the holy behavior expected by our holy God.

“If you remain indifferent in time of adversity, your strength will depart from you. Rescue those who are being dragged to death, and from those staggering to slaughter withdraw not.” (Proverbs 24:10-11).

Three Biblical Words for the Qualities of the Knight Errant:

1. Mishpat (mish-pawt) = Hebrew word for “saving justice;” treating people equitably and fairly; giving others their human rights in freedom; advocating for what is properly due to others as fellow human beings made in the image of God; wisely defending others who are being treated unfairly, including the powerless, the vulnerable, and those who are unable to defend themselves; exercising the righteous judgments that reflect the character of God. “Dispense true justice, and practice kindness and compassi0n each to one another; and do not oppress the widow or the orphan, the stranger or the poor; and do not devise evil in your hearts against one another.” (Zechariah 7:9-10).
2. Tsaddiyq (tsad-deek) = Hebrew word rooted in the word for righteousness; a person who is upright, just, godly, in right standing with God; who lives according to God’s standards; a title in Judaism given to people who are especially outstanding in piety, holiness and righteousness; the “tzaddik” has been described as someone who oozes goodness, who takes joy in justice, who loves to blamelessly puts things right. A righteous person is one who lives a life pleasing to God. “I will rejoice greatly in the Lord, my soul will exult in my God; for He has clothed me with garments of salvation, He has wrapped me with a robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decks himself with a garland, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.” (Isaiah 61:10).
3. Dikaios = the Greek word for both justice and righteousness, can be translated as righteous, just, fair, blameless, innocent, uprightness, heart that is right with God. “For I tell you that unless your uprightness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of Torah, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 5:20).

Can there be a new version of this old pathway to knighthood? What young men look for is something with teeth in it, that requires effort and focus and commitment, that really means something important. The following process for medieval knighthood has been taken directly from written records for that time period in the Middle Ages when knighthood was a serious calling to a particular lifestyle. Is this adaptable to our times now in such a way that will capture the imagination of young men?

(1.) The Page. The first step in becoming a knight started early at seven years of age, when a young boy with obvious potential was selected and groomed for the responsibilities that would come a few years later;

(2.) The Squire. Once the Page hit his teenage years, he would receive training more suitable for the older years, such as riding a horse, self-defense and combat skills, keeping promises, developing a character of honesty, loyalty, obedience, integrity. The squire was the knight-in-training, and would serve at the behest of his superiors. Knighthood would only be awarded to those squires who were worthy of the title and responsibilities.

(3.) The Knight of Faith. When the time came for the squire to assume knighthood, a Feast Day would be chosen during which the official ceremony would be held. The Christian Feast Day would add to the atmosphere of celebration and sanctity and would draw that much more attention and attendance from all those around.

1. Before the official ceremony in the Prayer Chapel, the squire was to fast on his own for 24 hours, which must include a time of self-examination and confession in full repentance to the priest in charge;
2. After the fast and confessional, the squire would take the ritual bath of purification and put on the following uniform for the ceremony: a white robe to represent purity; brown stockings to represent the ground from which he was created by God;  a scarlet  cloak to represent his own blood that the squire would be willing to shed in keeping his solemn promises, his oath of knighthood;
3. After entering the Prayer Chapel, the knight-to-be would start his all-night vigil by lying fully prostrate before the altar and laying his sword and shield on it for God’s blessing;
4. During the vigil, various experienced knights would enter occasionally and offer words of wisdom and encouragement to the squire;
5. While the vigil continued, at some point the priest would preach a long sermon that would include the Articles of Faith, the Ten Commandments, the Lord’s Prayer, and instructions regarding the Sacraments. The sermon was very intentionally offered to the squire “so that the squire knows how to reconcile the office of knighthood with the things that pertain to the Holy Faith;“
6. During the vigil, the priest would lead a special Mass for the squire;
7. After the Mass, the squire vows his solemn promise “to remain loyal to his king and to the code of knighthood, to defend the honor of God, promote the order of the kingdom, pursue virtue and valor, provide a refuge for the weak and the orphan, and protect at all times the ladies of the realm because they are the bearers of life;” 
8. After making that solemn promise before God and the Church, the squire “prays to God, that He give his grace and blessing so that he can be His servant for his entire life.” The squire prays while kneeling in front of the altar, “lifting his bodily and spiritual eyes and hands unto God the High King;”
9. After the promises and prayers, the accolade ceremony takes place: the “dubbing” (“naming”) occurs when the lord or chieftain or queen instructs the new knight to kneel before him or her as s/he slaps the flat of the sword onto the squire’s shoulders or neck, saying, “In the Name of God, I dub thee knight.” The accolade (“neck”) originally referred to a ceremonial embrace around the squire’s neck;
10. The knighthood ceremony ended with the lord or queen slapping the cheek of the new knight, giving him a wake-up call as to the importance of the ceremony, and demonstrating the last blow a knight should receive without retaliation. The slap reminds the new knight that the oath of Knighthood was a sacred promise that had grave consequences if the promises were ever broken.

The Ultimate Adventure: “Seek first and foremost the Kingdom of God and His righteousness… For everyone who continues to seek will find. Be a seeker!” (Matthew 6:33, 7:7-8).