Modern Day Chivalry : Intergrity

I'll never forget him. He was the Superintendent of the school that I went to for most of my underclass education. He had been there since shortly after the end of World War II. When he took the position at the small Christian prep school the only clothes he had were his U.S. Army uniforms. His name was Perry Mason. To this laddie Mr. Mason was larger than life. His office was on the hallway between the two buildings that made up our 'campus'. (They were actually surplus Quartermaster buildings.) He was a strict disciplinarian and rumour had it that his paddle was actually powered by electricity.

When I was in fourth grade I failed routinely to turn in my assignments. My teacher's paddlings didn't spur me on to greater academic endeavour. My father's didn't either. So, one fine day I was sent to see. . . Mr. Mason. I was mortified. I knew that I would not survive the electric paddle. I sat in his secretary's office and waited. He called me in. I cannot divulge all of the activities that took place behind his closed door. I'll just state that, yes, he did have a paddle that had a cord coming out of the handle. It was hanging in a display box on his wall. Our discussion was one that I will cherish for my entire life. From that day on I had a friend.

The main theme of it was this, 'Lawrence, the only thing you will ever have in your life is your name. Everything else belongs to someone else. What you do with your name is up to you.'

Fast forward. . .
I am now a senior attending the same school. Now we meet in a new state of the art (for 1980) school building. We have different superintendent. In chapel one morning our guest speaker was, Mr. Perry Mason.

I'll never forget that speech. Mr. Mason stood behind the pulpit and said, 'Young men and young ladies I may never have this opportunity to speak to you again. So, I want to tell you what I believe are the most important facts that I have learned in my life: In the end, there are only two things that matter. First, is your walk with God. Second, is your name; your integrity.' He went on from there.

Mr. Mason was a knight. He would come to the aid of the defenseless. He would shape the lives of those around him. He was a man that would keep his word to his own hurt. He was never do in private what he would be ashamed to speak of in public. He was a man with integrity.

At the core of real Christian manhood, not the emotion driven drivel that permeates the 'bookstore church', but the gutsy, strong, self-sacrificing, hard-nosed faith of Christ lies personal integrity. It is the foundation upon which all other honourable behaviour must be constructed. It is all too easy in our world of veneer to be lulled into a two, three, or more faced existence. Let's quit it and be whole men.