What it Means To Be a Knight Templar Today

The original premise of those nine”French knights who came to Jerusalem in 1118 A.D was strictly Christian in intent. These Poor Fellow soldiers of Jesus Christ blended the character of the monk with that of the soldier and thus these powerful and devoted military friars became the Delta Force, SAS and SEALS of the medieval period during the Crusades. Protecting pilgrims traveling to Jerusalem and defending the Holy City, they faithfully served God and the Faith for almost 200 years during this period.

To take upon ourselves the name of the Knights Templar in the 21st Century is quite an assumption! In this age of “political correctness” the very idea would be most repulsive to those peaceniks and unrealistic idealists. Such a culture evolved in Jerusalem after the death of King David under the leadership of David’s son, King Solomon. We can read about this period in the Book of Solomon’s Song 4:4. It reads, …”the tower of David builded for an armory, whereon there hang a thousand bucklers, all shields of mighty men.”

In less than a generation, because of the exploits of “the mighty men,” the ancient nation of Israel had peace. Israel also had something else, lethargy and complacency!  These “might men” and their arms had become nothing more than legends and tales. Solomon had made their bucklers and shields museum pieces in the tower. A casual perusal of 1 Chronicles 11:22-23 reveals the character of these mighty men. Benaiah slew two lion-like men of Moab and he slew a lion in a pit on a snowy day! He singlehandedly fell upon an Egyptian soldier who stood over seven feet tall, taking the Egyptian’s own spear out of his hand with which he killed the seven footer. That spear, most likely was in Solomon’s museum.

Of course, this is just one of many illustrations of the “Mighty Men of David.” Because of these men, Solomon was barely challenged for forty years. Good thing too, the nation became soft and compromised and shortly after Solomon’s death, the Kingdom divided and eventually fell to the enemy.

Our day is much like Solomon’s. Compromise abounds, lethargy rules and complacency is the cure! Never in the history of the world has there been a greater need for men and women of integrity and principle! In a world where one Christian is killed every eleven minutes, empty weak Christianity is no problem for anyone! We have elevated personality above character in every sphere. We seek entertainment in church instead of worship. We embrace tolerance instead of truth. We value success over substance, and we place the need of man over God and His glory.

It was in such a world as ours that the Knights Templar marched with integrity and honor and by the Grace of Almighty God, made a difference. So can we in our day. The current cultural and societal trends must be reversed or Western Culture (which has had an overall positive impact on world culture) will be entirely lost.

The moral of the story is simple: we are not just to be like the Knights Templar of old, we are the KNIGHTS TEMPLAR and we are here to show the world the glory and honor of valor, strength, courage and integrity! We are here to show the world the glorious red cross of Jesus Christ! Knights, Arise!
Ad maiorem Dei gloriam