The Kingdom We Inherit

We have a kingdom to consider.
     A kingdom based not on conquest of other people, but on conquest of ourselves. A kingdom based on truth, justice and mercy, strength and compassion, development of self and concern for others. It is a realm where honor is based on something more than pride, a kinship not of blood, but of the heart that pumps it.
     It is a kingdom we aspire to attain in our Companionship. It is never distant, but as close and intimate as our thoughts. We belong to it already, as the yearnings of chivalry tell us. All we need is to recognize its existence and partake in it.
     This kingdom has no boundaries to define it. It is a circle without circumference, the proverbial Table Round, the horizon that encircles us, the planet itself, with the panoply of stars in which our tiny globe is lost.
     It is this unity that unites us as Companions, no matter what distance separates us. Our values, like the inspiration inside us that gives them life, connects us in what can only be described the spirit of an ageless age.
     Arthur called it Camelot. Jesus spoke of the Kingdom of God. Lau Tzu described it as the Tao. There have always been hints and aspirations for Utopia, glimpses of Paradise Reclaimed — symbolic dreams, mythical constructions, hopes for a better world, some more fanciful than real.
     But the kingdom I speak of is "not of this world." It is found, rather, in our perception of the world, the attitude it provokes as Chivalry-Now prompts us to open our eyes. This perception is simple and practical, yet visionary, bordering on the mystical—as real as the stone our metaphorical castle is made on, yet floating in the clouds waiting for our minds to shape it. It is composed of one third hope, another third belief, and the final requirement of incorporating it all into our lives.
     Our kingdom lives in us, and connects us with one another. We hear it in silence and in song, in a lover's voice, a mother's lullaby, and yes, the clarion call as well. We see it in our jobs, and on the battlefield, but also in a fallen leaf. Sunsets paint its fleeting drama for everyone to see, while gentle rain comforts and delights. Children play. Parents protect. Neighbors watch for one another. A million sorrows are somehow balanced by joy.
     It's all there, every minute of the day, too often unseen, unappreciated, waiting for our eyes to open. Chivalry-Now awakens us to that kingdom. We become members of a spiritual Round Table, where vision is shared and fellowship maintained. All it takes is a small adjustment of perception, and we imbibe from nothing less than the Holy Grail.
     There is no leader of this kingdom. No Arthur at its head. No laws other than the ideals in our hearts that give it life. It belongs in part and whole to everyone who claims it, and vanishes from those who would abuse it.
     The kingdom I speak of awaits us all. Don't let guilt or hesitation bar your passage. Your kinship is absolute. In fact, the kingdom depends on you. On each of us. Your vision and mine. Christian, Druid, atheist or whatever. Truth is truth, no matter from what vantage point we behold it.
     A kingdom based on virtuous ideals can only blossom from hearts where virtuous ideals inspire and are given life.
     Camelot is real if we make it real. Let's get to work and build it together.

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