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.

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