When I was in junior high school, I was in deep trouble I just did not know it quite yet. After years of being tortured by bullies over just about anything and everything I arrived at puberty with the murderous rage of a thousand wolves.
Fortunately for me, God had a plan for this. I ended up in a basement of a very old musty building, in a sweaty old boxing gym, with an old Hungarian boxing coach. An on fire devout Catholic one might I add. This old guy might not have known it, but his efforts along with my biggest supporter at this time in my life with this endeavour (my dad) kept me out of jail. No fooling.
Everyone was my enemy, and I didn’t have an ounce of empathy for anyone. You looked at me the wrong way in those days I would have knocked the wind out of you so hard your ancestors would have felt it.
Fortunately, I had great role model men that saved me from myself. There is such a thing as righteous indignation, self-defence, and just war. But all three of these require self-mastery to properly discern. And, that is a fruit of the Holy Spirit, that is to say a gift of God.
I can still hear it now. The old man’s Hungarian accent … sveat Nicky. sVeat! You got tooo sssvvvvvvvvvveeat.
Guess what? After two hours in the old man’s gym, I was too bloody tired to even think about my latest plan to out bully my bullies. — Let’s be honest kick their teeth in.
So then, it only took 27 years… but I am finally starting to arrive at this Spiritual place of self-mastery where I can see the difference between totally deranged, nut job murderer; and, noble, disciplined, warrior. Why so late arriving to that party? Ah. Like everything else that is Truly good in life, … it’s all the grace of God. If you remain a rebel and tell God to sod off, he respects that request… … …
Good luck with that.
Dear readers, this is an appeal to men of faith and non as well. The world is dying. Every great civilization in human history first began to rot morally from the inside out before it completely collapsed. Western civilization is perverted, sick, dishonest, and corrupt. It is bankrupt, at war with itself and abroad. It’s citizens are uneasy and willing to take to the streets for just about anything these days.
Gentleman. It’s time to get off the couch and be good Sheep Dogs while there is still something left to fight for.