This blog is going to be a vehicle of discussion for me. I have, for many years now, wanted to attempt to create a holistic theology for life. But what exactly does that mean? Well, I believe that faith in Christ is something that should impact the whole of your life. Not just that you pray or go to church, but that it really leaves a deep impact on who you are and how you act. So to that end, I want to create a theology that dictates a lifestyle of Christ-likeness.
"Wow, that all sounds well and good, but I have no idea what that means or looks like! Examples please!" Well, for starters, the Knight-Orders of the Crusades are excellent examples. The Knights Teutonic and Hospitaller, for example, had a theology that emphasized caring for others, and so they went to great lengths to create hospitals and clinics to care for sick and injured people, both on the pilgrim roads as well as the Holy Land.
"So you want to be like the Crusader knights?!?" Umm.... Yes? And no. I want to begin practicing a life of discipline and focus, mentally, spiritually, and physically. Not gonna go smite infidels or pillage villages, but I do very much want to emulate their dedication to their ideals and disciplines. No matter what Assassin's Creed tells you, the Knight Orders of the crusades were fiercely dedicated soldiers and monks who took it upon themselves to protect, aid, and serve those who sought to travel to and within the Holy Land. True, they made mistakes at times, but that was their purpose, and many of them held firm to that despite the great temptations their power brought them.
"Well, that sounds kinda interesting. What all are you going to do?" This is where I move from the well thought out side of this experiment to the more amorphous figure-it-out side. I for sure want to create a liturgy (I'll explain why at some point, I promise), and I want to create a sort of codified theology. Think of it as a cross between a really small/light systematic theology and a really dense catechism. Basically, it will follow a question and answer format, but instead of one or two sentences, it'll be several paragraphs. Another thing I want to do is with each of these things, give an application. Granted it's all my personal opinion, but I want to give some ideas of what these beliefs mean in our lives, not just in our minds.
Their will probably be more (I'm batting around a Book of Common Prayers idea as well), but we'll cross those bridges as we go. One final point: talk to me. tell me what you think. Did I miss something, am I misdirected in a certain thought, does your preferred translation of the Bible cast a different light on something? I want feedback! I love talking about these kinds of things, and it's only by talking about them that we can grow as the body of Christ!
EDIT: Realized I posted this without explaining the title! A knight-errant is a knight who wanders around looking for chivalrous deeds to do and adventures to have. I am a knight. I am a vessel through which God wages war on His enemy. I am a soldier whose primary task is to brave the very mouth of Hell and pull the floundering lost souls from it's jaws. I have armor and weapons(Ephesians 6:10-20), as well as standing orders (Matthew 28:18-20).
I am also errant. This world is not my ultimate home. I am a sojourner here, only staying so that I may serve God in this world before being recalled to his side. My time here is short, in the grand scheme of things, and so I must be busy about His work. There's no time to waste, because so many need to know about Him.
And there you go, a little explanation about the title :)
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