Pax Cordis

[EmbryoGod 823]

Pax Cordis

On Political Vitriol

            Politics have been ingrained into the lifestyle of humanity since the founding of the first empire. We have found ourselves to be passionate about the causes of those around us, and the opportunity to have public voices heard has now, more than ever, been a central point in our society. Those of us who have been strewn off to hidden places, away from the watchful eye of the wealthier public are finally able to hear our voices heard.

            Those of us with the urge to move forward and bear the responsibility of leading a nation are now brought forthright with the Imperial Senate, where candidates can simply apply and follow a voting procedure to get elected. We have seen this uptick as a positive thing, and while all would agree that there needs to be a voice for everyone in the realm of politics, there must be some caution with which we hold ourselves to. I understand this to be a delicate situation, especially given the publicity of this most recent campaign from both sides (namely the Priorists and the Common Civic Party). And therefore, in an effort to assist in my purpose for writing this document, I must first give an honest and forthright response to the question of why I have even written this missive in the first place.

            The honest reality is that I have been working on this for some time, though I’ve had difficulty formulating my thoughts into words. But as always when I find my soul restless, I am guided towards the Word of the Canon, and the tenets of our Father, GOD. I am also of the personal belief that members of the clergy must not become politicized, for the Word of GOD and His teachings must always ring true regardless of whatever state of affairs is held within any Kingdom or Empire. So I must explain beforehand that this is not an issue of politics that I am writing about, but merely of the state of affairs that I have seen our history in through my theological perspective.

 

The First Kingdom

            And so the first ever recorded Kingdom of Man was a theocracy, and it was a great era. Horen was anointed by GOD to be his prophet, and he held his own against the temptations of sin that Iblees had used to persuade the mortals of this realm. He unified the tribes, and in doing so brought us strength in numbers.

            To argue the difference between what we could consider the Empire in the present day, and what we would consider a Kingdom today is of a mute point. It is understood that Horen unified all of humankind in an effort to bring about a golden era of revelation. What is the most important factor in Horen’s mythos is that he was anointed by GOD. Horen was the Prophet, and he spread GOD’s word.

            And aye, Horen’s kingdom was grand and as perfect as one could be. For Horen took the creed of GOD to heart, and ensured that his people did the same. Horen was a great King, for he followed GOD. Horen listened to Him, Horen made Him his life. And we should all be achieving that pinnacle as well. The coronation of a King is an emulation of this. As the lineage of noble birth, it is one’s GOD given right to rule the land. Whether or not he rules effectively, however, is up to him.

            I would like to take a moment to reference the story of Harren, son of Horen. Harren, realizing the strength of Krug and his tribe, married an Elf and rallied their men to his cause. But Harren was human, imperfect, fallible. Harren was given the option of becoming the next prophet, but his greed and pride prevented him from doing so. For aye, it is easier for the flesh to indulge itself on wine and merrymaking and celebration than it is to retain the virtue of the spirit.

            And so, too, is it easy for one to take the expedient route through any vocation. It is easier to lie in order to get your way, to steal money instead of working hard. It is easier for a man to commit the sin of infidelity in order to alleviate the urges of the flesh than it is for him to focus on fixing his marriage and making his beloved happy. And so too, is it easier for one to ignore certain… dare I say controversial views or policies in favor of slandering another candidate than it is for one to own up to their own platform.

 

Vitriol, the Greed of Man, and Virtue

            Humility is a virtue that is oft forgotten by man. For it is easier for a people to ignore their faults, and prop themselves up to greatness. To believe themselves absolved of any necessary respect that they must give. For to the one who calls himself the greatest blacksmith, he sees no one as his equal. This is a dangerous thing. For whether or not one is the greatest blacksmith, he is no better nor worse than any other individual in the eyes of GOD. The Canticle of Humility describes this well:

 

For I have given to thee the theatre of virtue, and I have ordered the estates of the beasts of the earth and the men who walketh upon it. And thou shalt be without pretense or conceit, for before the mountain, the ant and the aurochs are equally small.

Horen, 7:3

 

             We are all short in the eyes of the Lord. For He is the Creator, the All-Father, the one, true GOD. To Him we are but ants. Aye, we are his chosen, but that does not mean that one must allow themselves a large head. There is no man unworthy of critique, no being on this mortal realm that is higher than the rest, impervious to criticism.

            But what is worse is those who see no fault, those who consider this behavior of theirs rational and justifiable in the context of the situation. For the meek will find the Word in the Canon, and their spirits will be solidified and their campaigns held true. But to ye, the ignorant, who questions never his action, you shall find nothing but failure and misery. No action, whatever you may find it, which cannot be justified through the use of the Canon, is an action that is wrong and immoral in all of its many forms.

            And so in the meek man, the quiet man, we see true virtue. He who questions all of his actions, and ensures that they are deliberate and virtuous, will be that same man. Those who are loud, boisterous, and quick to respond to anything they deem as insult are egotistical, prideful, and sinful. For even those amongst us that may have no difficulty in sitting with the faith, who do not struggle to match its doctrines, are imperfect. Those who understand their station, those who toil with the confliction between their own urges and actions with what is written within the Canon, they are the true of faith.

 

             The virtue of humility can be juxtaposed much akin to that of the principle of fidelity and patience. We are reminded that we are not to be the judges of men’s behavior nor are we the infallible ordinators for our laws shall pass away. Look to the Canon, the Testament of GOD to which was divinely inspired by His chosen Prophets to foster the faithful. We must be humble and perceive ourselves as such so that our actions shall be beacons of light to those who long to see the face of GOD.

            -          His Holiness Everard IV, former High Pontiff

 

            For aye, all great things come with struggle, all great things come with restraint. For Horen was not prideful, not boastful about his station as Prophet. Nay, he sought his brother, Krug. He did not allow his head to be filled with grandiose images of GOD keeping him safe, guiding him to perfection. Horen prayed, he listened, and most of all he lived his life by the words of the Canon. He sought allies in an effort to combat the effect of Iblees. He was humble, he showed fidelity, and he showed grace.

            It is with this that I turn to greed. Man struggles with greed, struggling consistently with the urge to better one’s station in life. But we as good canonists know, this is a sin. We must try to purge ourselves of such radical aspirations, and instead focus primarily on the sustenance of our families and living by His Word. As such we can deduce that greed holds all forms. Those who are ignorant running for politics, the dumb man trying to gain wealth through the use of the misfortune of others, the wise man daring to espouse that the truth of the world can be found without GOD, our Creator.

            For greed permeates down to the very core of society. Those of an unfit station in life, those who feel they have been wronged, they all are envious of that which they did not receive. But ‘lo, GOD grants all those impoverished, all of those wronged, all of those virtuous, a realm in His Skies. And ‘lo, GOD has ordered us as such. We shall not raise our hands in envy, nor shall we allow such wickedness to permeate the fabric of our being and dictate its actions.

 

            So I am the Most High, and in pursuit of My Virtue, I bid thee, My faithful, this: Thou shalt not raise a hand in wrath, nor in envy, nor in any kind of sin.

            And I am the Lord God without peer, and My cure is the sacred cure, and My trials are the holy trials, and all the reliefs of heaven are open to the virtuous             forbearer.

Horen 5:4-5

            And from what virtue does the vitriolic candidate or politician derive? I shall tell you, it is none. For the virtuous man shall not scream rage at those who have wronged him, for even our most merciful GOD has not. And read carefully, dear viewers, as I proclaim our GOD as a merciful one. For truly His mercy shines even to this day. The pagans, the heathens, those who we once called enemies are slowly turning towards the light of GOD and His love. Aye, for GOD loves all. For He is our Father, our Creator.

            This idea is not a new one. Canonists from the eons of history have held to this to be truthful. We must find peace, and establish ourselves as emulators of the Saints that came before us. Emulate those who have spent their entire lives worshipping in an effort to become closer to the nature of GOD.

 

            Moreover, the Canonist Church urges its faithful throughout the realm of Atlas to conduct a manner of prudence, mercy, and charity that we might be saint-like models among mortals, exercising our good will and virtuous consciences in our dialogue with those of the Farfolk and that of many in other faiths whoso earnestly seek collegiality and collaboration as children of GOD.

            -          His Holiness Jude I, former High Pontiff

 

As you see, this is not just the ramblings of a deranged priest, but a well-established and historical precedent that has been held close in belief to those at the highest level of the Church. We must hold true to the Canon, and we must hold true to the virtues therein. Whatever the struggle or strife that may entail. For our struggle now will be rewarded with peace in the next life, where we are all bask in the glory that is the Kingdom of the Seven Skies.

 

The Implications of the Unvirtuous Man

            And to those that do not show virtue, do not show love and respect for their fellow man (for aye, even a candidate that you are campaigning against is still a fellow man) are straying further from the Will of GOD. And worse yet, they pull themselves closer to the Denier, Iblees himself! For the right path is not always the easiest, and those among you who hear the words of comfort, those among you who feel your fears are assuaged by a simple answer to a problem of your life, I direct you to such:

 

            So he went into their camps in other guises, and he tempted them with sin, and said the Lord pardoned them for their faith. And the Sons of Malin, and of Urguan, and of Krug were wary, but did not wish to reject the soft beds and wine they were offered, and the finely worked jewelry, and so all reveled and lazed and lay with each other, and called it faith.

Godfrey, 2:7

            ‘Lo dear reader, take heed to this word. For those who find small comfort through unvirtuous acts are not acting in good faith. They are betraying the faith. And ‘lo, to those who dare wish to use such unvirtuous behavior to make gains in whatever pursuit that they are found occupying their time with, you are espousing the views of Iblees, of the Denier, of the Damned.

            And I urge those of you of the faith, those who struggle to find a meaning to the endless madness that we might find ourselves in our lives, do not listen to the honeyed words of one who blames the momentary problems of the flesh on another. Nay, it is not I that urges it, but GOD himself. For GOD sees all sin, and in His love He wishes not to punish. But those of us that would refuse His will, those of us that would actively seek out to harm others socially or physically for their own selfish gain, they will be met with His Justice. Aye, for GOD is the most Just, and the most Virtuous, and the most Perfect. For He is GOD! The Creator! The All-Father! The Immanent!

            And so to ye of faith, to those of you who are downtrodden, I will give you hope. For GOD favors those who struggle, and all of His Justice is one of struggle and strife. It is not easy to say no to the drink, it is easy to get caught up in a swathe of violence, and it is easy to allow ourselves to temporarily forget our virtue in order to feel comfort at the hands of those who make sweet, silver promises.

We are the faithful! We reject the acts of evil, of sin, of the natures most unholy. For we hold His Greatest Word to our hearts. We must struggle to live in his image, and we must struggle to see good in this world. Because we would not allow our birthfathers to be at the hands of slander, to see their teachings go to waste, and by extension we would not allow GOD, our eternal father, to be slandered and see His love wasted in the quagmire of sin.

 

Epilogue

            Some may question why, of all things, I have written this missive. Well to be blunt and to the point, it is the responsibility of all of those who try to preach GOD’s Word to ensure that the morality of His people are maintained. And as a man of the clergy, a man who preaches, I too, bear that responsibility.

            As in all things, diligence is the key to a happy and sin-free life. One must maintain diligence in all actions, each one must be as meaningful as the last. And I think from time to time, we all must be reminded of such a thing. As stated prior, given the time of this writing, the political situation is delicate to say the least.

            But this is not a political piece. This is an interpretation and reading of the Canon and other Encyclicals on the state of humanity, and morality’s place within the realm of politics. There has been much vitriol from both sides of this current campaign, and it saddens me deeply to see such passion wasted on acts of sin and violence.

            And with that, I have said (or rather, written) my piece. Go with GOD, and may your souls and hearts be free of sin, that you may achieve salvation.

 

In Nomine Patris, amen.

Father Rudolph Wagner

 

 

[Man of Respect 5471]

AVE, DEATH TO ELVES!

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