I was reading Brian Price’s Boook of the Tournament this morning. There was this passage talking about why we do what we do, that is suit up in full armor and fight in the chivalric tournament. And aside from fighting for the romance and the dream, aside from honoring the chivalric form we have the challenge of Prowess, Brian Price writes:
Less lofty and more tangiable than this philosofical goal, however is the challenge of Prowess. The development of swordsmanship takes years of practice to build the physical coordination, the familiarity, the confidence and the focus nessecary for graceful power. It is this grace in ability, this making the difficult look easy that is a key element of a knightly style; a crisp, simply elegant series of movements that likens fighting to a dance.
We have all seen it in certain martial artist in some movies where it is the elegance and grace yet power and presence of a hero that makes him or her such a great rolemodel.
But taking the concept further I think this is what we need to aim for as Christians, a powerful discerning that will leave no question of right and wrong with a grace that will lend the power of transformation to the people around us.
Graceful power, justice delivered with a silk gloves. It is the turning of the cheek, the meeting of hostility with a warm and kind smile, the loving embrace for those who deserve it the least. This is the mark of a Disciple Knight.
