OATHS OF KNIGHTS

      Ridley Scott’s movie Kingdom of Heaven captured the spirit of Knights. We see armies headed to lay siege on Jerusalem, and the fortifications are being made to the best of the abilities of the people who are living there. Something happens when the priest complains that there are no Knights, and, therefore, the city is deemed defenseless. Balian asks a young man about his condition. The young man is a servant. Balian commands this young man and all men capable of bearing arms to kneel and take the oath of Knighthood. This young man kneels a servant. All of the others are ordinary men. They kneel as Balian commanded. When they rise, there is something different about them. They are Knights. They are able to transform this newfound power into a razor-sharp repelling force that inflicts losses on the attackers that brings them to the table to negotiate safe passage to friendly lands. Where there was previously no hope, the bestowal of Knighthood invoked forces beyond comprehension.

Something happens when men and women take the oath of Knighthood.The oath in Kingdom of Heaven was simple: Be without fear in the face of your enemies. Be brave and upright that God may love thee. Speak the truth always even if it leads to your death. Safeguard the helpless and do no wrong. This is your oath. Rise a Knight.

MY OWN PERSONAL TRANSFORMATION

In 1996, I participated in a mission to Nicaragua that forever changed my life. I remember the moment that the change occurred. I handed antibiotics to a woman that likely saved the lives of her children. There was that silent communication between us, as we spoke different languages. That look of gratitude will forever be seared in my brain. Sir Edward calls this rendering, "hand to hand, eye to eye, and heart to heart." What also gives it power is that we never expect anything in return.

Less than a year later, I experienced another life changing moment. I was asked to kneel an ordinary man and to take the oath of Knighthood. When I rose a Knight, my life changed forever. Since that day, I have participated in relief missions throughout the world. For many of those missions, I simply packaged and shipped relief items, raised money, or handled logistics. But, on several of those missions, I traveled to deliver the relief personally, "hand to hand, eye to eye, and heart to heart." When I became a Knight, I made an oath to live my life as a Knight.

THE OATH A KNIGHT TAKES HAS TRANSFORMED OVER TIME

The following oath was translated from Medieval Latin and is found on the tomb of a Knight of Malta in northwestern France. It dates from 1560 A.D.

"I do solemnly swear by Almighty God and His Name, and in free and voluntary desire, to serve as a Knight of Malta of the most holy Order of Saint John of Jerusalem. I do swear by the Eternal Power of the Trinity, to be both a true and chivalric Knight, to obey my Commanders and to aid my brethren. I also swear by all that is holy and dear unto me, to aid those less fortunate than I, to relieve the distress of the world and to fulfill my knightly obligations. This oath do I give of my own free and independent will, so help me God! Amen!"

These words come down to us from an ancient knightly order, in which knights were instructed in their duties.

THE ANCIENT OATH

Be loyal of hands and mouth and serve every man as best you may. Seek the fellowship of good men; hearken to their words and remember them. Be humble and courteous wherever thou go, boasting not nor talking overmuch, neither be dumb altogether. Look to it that no lady or damsel be in reproach through your default, nor any woman of whatsoever quality. And, if you fall into company where men speak with disrespect of any woman, show by gracious words that it pleaseth you not, and depart.

The office of knight is to promote faith in Jesus Christ as Lord of Lords, King of Kings and the only Savior and to protect those who seek to worship in His name anywhere upon the face of this earth that He has made.

THE OATH OF A KNIGHT (Also known as A Knight’s Prayer)

Almighty God, Eternal Father, Lord of Lords, have mercy upon me, a humble knight in Thy Divine Service. O Lord, I pray for Thy indulgence and blessings.

Forget not Thine servant in his trials, nor his Order of Knighthood. I pray that Thy Will be done in all things, both great and small. Let me always be worthy of Thee, let me not forget Thee in good times or bad.

Armor me with the armor of Thy Righteousness, give me the sword of Truth that I shall confound Thine enemies and be unto Thee a true knight.

O Lord, in my hour of need, be with me. Let me never forget my sacred and holy vows unto Thee, that I should not be prey unto demons and devils nor the dark things of this world.

Let me always be a beacon unto those in distress, never allow me to forget my obligation unto the homeless nor the poor: let me serve Thee and Thine Eternal Throne all the days of my life. Let me always remember the obligations that I have taken upon me.

Lord, if it is Thy Will, let me serve Thee forever!

If ever, oh Lord, I turn from Thee in this Order, let my name forever be cursed, may my spurs be broken and my body given unto demons to dwell with them forever in that Lake of Fire which Thou hast prepared for the ungodly.
Power beyond Power, Pillar of Strength, Refuge of the Homeless, let me serve
Thee for all the days of my life! Amen.

These words were part of an oral history of the Crusades compiled in 1200 A.D. and were spoken by a Knight Hospitaller moments before a battle against Moslem forces.

YET ANOTHER OATH

This is the oath of a Knight of King Arthur’s Round Table and should be for all of us to take to heart.
I will develop my life for the greater good. I will place character above riches, and concern for others above personal wealth, I will never boast, but cherish humility instead, I will speak the truth at all times, and forever keep my word, I will defend those who cannot defend themselves, I will honor and respect women, and refute sexism in all its guises, I will uphold justice by being fair to all, I will be faithful in love and loyal in friendship, I will abhor scandals and gossip—neither partake nor delight in them, I will be generous to the poor and to those who need help, I will forgive when asked, that my own mistakes will be forgiven, I will live my life with courtesy and honor from this day forward.


 



© 2013 Michael Douglas Carlin. All Rights Reserved.

For more information please visit the Beverly Hills View

WHAT IS A KNIGHT WITHOUT A QUEST?

by Michael Douglas Carlin

Knights are all about adventure and chivalry. Every time a Knight embarks on an adventure, there is sure to be a story to tell others, especially when the adventure begins with the purest of intentions. Life lessons and good deeds done along the way are an important part of being a Knight. The artifacts collected along the way are also quite important as visual aids in telling your stories. The twofold goal of a quest is to allieviate suffering and solve problems.

Many of our Knights collect medical supplies in local hospitals and take them to poverty-stricken countries, where these supplies save lives. Many collect musical instruments and take the gift of music to people, who could never afford to own a musical instrument. Others collect sporting equipment and bring the gift of sports to alleviate pain and suffering. A few Knights collect surplus food and take it to hungry people, who would otherwise have nothing to eat. Every Knight must decide for himself or herself how to live a chivalric life.

The accouterments of a Knight are very private and personal. Each Knight in our order embarks on a quest to find his or her Knightly possessions that can be handed down to future Knights and later bequeathed to inspire others to live their lives in keeping with the oath of a Knight. The search for items can be done on humanitarian missions or during times of personal reflection and may be gifted. When Knights gather in the age-old tradition of storytelling, these relics can provide triggers to impart the lore of Knights. Collecting regalia should, therefore, become something each Knight does over the course of a lifetime. There is no commercialism associated with our Order of Knights.

Why limit yourselves in your quest for artifacts that add to the legacy of Knighthood? Knights were known for many things: horses, armor, swords, shields, axes, rings, chains, mail, spurs, cloaks, capes, a mace, and a coat of arms. Each one of these items is highly personal, and every Knight should seek items that reflect his or her life and mission. A writer might acquire a special pen. A banker might acquire a special coin.

There is no limit to your imagination in finding your perfect balance of Knightly items to reinforce a life of service.

© 2013 Michael Douglas Carlin. All Rights Reserved.

For more information please visit the Beverly Hills View

WHAT IS A KNIGHT WITHOUT A QUEST?

by Michael Douglas Carlin

Knights are all about adventure and chivalry. Every time a Knight embarks on an adventure, there is sure to be a story to tell others, especially when the adventure begins with the purest of intentions. Life lessons and good deeds done along the way are an important part of being a Knight. The artifacts collected along the way are also quite important as visual aids in telling your stories. The twofold goal of a quest is to allieviate suffering and solve problems.

Many of our Knights collect medical supplies in local hospitals and take them to poverty-stricken countries, where these supplies save lives. Many collect musical instruments and take the gift of music to people, who could never afford to own a musical instrument. Others collect sporting equipment and bring the gift of sports to alleviate pain and suffering. A few Knights collect surplus food and take it to hungry people, who would otherwise have nothing to eat. Every Knight must decide for himself or herself how to live a chivalric life.

The accouterments of a Knight are very private and personal. Each Knight in our order embarks on a quest to find his or her Knightly possessions that can be handed down to future Knights and later bequeathed to inspire others to live their lives in keeping with the oath of a Knight. The search for items can be done on humanitarian missions or during times of personal reflection and may be gifted. When Knights gather in the age-old tradition of storytelling, these relics can provide triggers to impart the lore of Knights. Collecting regalia should, therefore, become something each Knight does over the course of a lifetime. There is no commercialism associated with our Order of Knights.

Why limit yourselves in your quest for artifacts that add to the legacy of Knighthood? Knights were known for many things: horses, armor, swords, shields, axes, rings, chains, mail, spurs, cloaks, capes, a mace, and a coat of arms. Each one of these items is highly personal, and every Knight should seek items that reflect his or her life and mission. A writer might acquire a special pen. A banker might acquire a special coin.

There is no limit to your imagination in finding your perfect balance of Knightly items to reinforce a life of service.

© 2013 Michael Douglas Carlin. All Rights Reserved.

THE WORLD NEEDS KNIGHTS

To many, elections are seen as a way to solve the problems of modern day society. Too many are pinning their hopes on a vote. The truth is that our challenges as a nation and a planet are so daunting that no single man or woman can unwind the mess that tangles us together. Every election might bring slightly more clarity about the direction of the country, but the needs have never been greater for new voices to rise above the din and shout out that they are here to champion a cause. The people have the power to transform America and the world into a much safer and more compassionate place for its inhabitants.

Anyone who is waiting for government to solve our problems isn’t harnessing the synergy created when the stakeholders in any community work together.

The engine of business pays for it all; therefore we all need to be shamelessly working to make money to provide for our own needs and those of our families. We also need to be shameless about the causes we choose to support in the arena of philanthropy. We all have the opportunities today to excel and succeed because of the many men and women who came before us to provide the infrastructure and framework that allow us to succeed. In honor of those who came before, we need to give back to those who are less fortunate and those who will come after, so that all of humanity can drink from the chalice of opportunity.

In days long past, the roads were guarded by Knights. Knights protected the poor, the weak and the afflicted. Knights fought for honor. Knights stood for principles and ideals. They made oaths that they kept even if it brought the consequences of an untimely death. They lived noble lives that rose above petty wrangling. When they saw injustice, they righted it.

I belong to a rogue order of Knights. We trace our roots back to a Knighting inside the Russian Orthodox Church in Moscow. We don’t wait for instructions to do good deeds. We don’t talk about politics or religion on our humanitarian missions. A number of our group are sprinkled throughout the world and go to the most dangerous places to take relief to people in need. They do so for only one reason -- it is the right thing to do.

I have sat in board meetings of charities, where the need is secondary to the egos of the board members. We are dead set against ever participating in this type of charity. If we have food in the proximity of hungry people, there doesn’t need to be an over-engineered plan that glorifies anybody — we simply match our resources with the need in an orderly manner. The world needs more of this Knightly common sense. The world needs more Knights.

We never look for new members of our order. They find us. They already live their lives as Knights. They are already living a noble life. Find a cause you believe in and become passionate about helping people to have better lives. We will find you and ask you to kneel, take the oath of chivalry, and rise a Knight. Until now, our order has Knighted only men, but we have now welcomed our first female Knights into the fold. That may send shock waves around the world, but every person living a chivalric life and championing the cause of helping the less fortunate is a Knight, and we are merely recognizing their life’s work. We are providing them with the mantle of Knighthood that comes with authority and responsibility that is steeped in tradition. Our rogue order doesn’t always follow every rule, especially those rules that were created by people seeking only to glorify themselves. We never claim to be saints, but we do discreetly wear our mantle of Knighthood in our quest to make this world a better place.

For more information please visit the Beverly Hills View