Post Theme: Chivalry’s Mistaken Identity
Many years ago, I was sitting on my carry-on bag in the shopping concourse of the Frankfurt airport, when I noticed a young woman handing out perfume samples nearby. Occasionally, she glanced in my direction and smiled. Finally, she left her post and came to where I was sitting. She held out a strip of scented paper and said something to me in German.
“I’m sorry,” I said. “I don’t speak German.”
A look of surprise and then embarrassment crossed her face. Then she said, “I’m sorry. I thought you were German.”
Does Chivalry have a Doppelgänger?
All of us have experienced some form of mistaken identity at some point, and chivalry is no exception. Usually when I mention chivalry, people think of etiquette and dating. Men opening the door for women. People not slurping their soup. Speaking politely to one another. This is both courtly and chivalrous behavior, but it barely scratches the surface of what chivalry truly is. If you look a little deeper, you’ll find there is much more to it. You’ll also find it is desperately needed in our world today.
This is why I wrote my novel, Shadows of Chivalry , and why I believe in its message so strongly. Chivalry isn’t just a set of manners. It is a way of life built on the commitment to do what is right. For the Christian, that means doing what is right not in our eyes but in God’s. It is a commitment to fight the fight, keep the faith, and finish the course.
Discovering Chivalry’s Identity
As Shadows of Chivalry unfolds, this becomes evident to its characters, especially Matt. At the beginning of the story, he is ready and willing to help others. In fact, he has already been helping in secret for quite some time. But, as he goes deeper into the situation and into Sam’s story, he realizes something is missing in his life. The days that follow take him on a heart journey from ready and willing soldier to prepared knight. What is the difference between the two? Training.
Wait. What? Isn’t a knight valiant, courageous, and daring? Yes, but it isn’t a given that those things come naturally. Doesn’t the average soldier receive training? Yes, but the key word there is average. The knight’s training went much deeper, often starting from when he was a young child. He would have worked with specialists of his trade—master swordsmen, masters at the art of battle strategy, and instructors in the way of chivalry. Which is why I’ve written a companion study to Shadows of Chivalry (check it out here) because I believe we need men and women of chivalry and courage today.
For Matt, the new training was minimal. As Kelly said, he already had what it takes to be a knight, Sam and Moses just polished his armor a little. His training began with his parents who taught him to see needs and meet them. The lessons he learned as he delved further into the history and situations of the crisis center elevated the commitment behind that training to a new level—A level that understood that love looks like the life Christ led and laid down. He came to see that what was missing in his life was chivalry.
Often, we limit chivalry to the medieval world, to the world of dating and romance, and even to the world of men. But it goes well beyond that and touches the most vulnerable people with mercy, grace, and valor. And the amazing thing about chivalry? Anyone can live with chivalry—including you!