THE HOUSE OF VIRTUE

“Make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue…” – Simon Peter, Disciple of Christ. 

Virtue. That ancient word and unremembered concept is the buried stone which the whole edifice of civilization rests upon. Virtue has lifted lesser men out of the seat of poverty and set them on the throne of responsibility. It has descended from the heights to deliver the messages of God to man. Virtue has established an eternal house, with great halls that were once filled by men of all stations; it welcomed the rulers and the rejected into its covering where their character mattered more than their lack of privilege or prosperity. Where hearts were weighed on an impartial scale held by the hand of heaven. This great house was once filled with great teachers, preachers, and philosophers who imparted the words of God into the lives of men. They delivered eternal truths to temporary beings so that they could transcend their finite and fallen state. And this grand house stood high above the house of state as the final arbiter of moral truth for the lives of man. In its time, the House of Virtue was honored by all, but in our time it has been forgotten by most. The house has been shuttered, the furniture covered, the drapes drawn, and the great halls abandoned. The echoes of the master’s voice still hang in the air like dust, and the student’s footsteps reverberate in the creaking floorboards long after they have taken their leave. Even the caretakers have left the grounds to rot, moving on with the times to newer institutions with easy benefits and lesser requirements.

But the House of Virtue still stands. If you desire, you can explore this abandoned structure and rediscover its depths. Its pillars are still strong, and its beauty shines through the decay. The nature of man has not yet fully reclaimed the rooms of truth and justice; it hasn’t fully outgrown faith and humility. The theories of the old masters are still written on the chalkboards, and their books lay open in the grand library. If you desire Virtue, it’s still available, but it must be sought after and searched for, and it might become uncomfortable along the way. But it is worth it. The ancient house still holds all its riches and will reveal them to those who ask. For whoever seeks, finds, and to whoever knocks, the door will be open to them. Seek Virtue, discover its depths, direct your life by its principles, and you will become far more than modern man.