The Church of Solidarity _____________________________________________________________ Spirit's blessings on all who can come. For those who couldn't attend, I've made a copy for those who are interested._____________________________________________________________ Imagine that you were a guard tasked with the job of protecting a warehouse full of food. If, one night, a poor mother approached you and asked to give food for her child, what should you do? To take from the warehouse would violate your duty as a guard, and to turn the mother away would violate your duty as a unionist. What then, is the right thing to do? What is charity? Charity is giving aid to those who are in need. How might we give aid? As we learn from the Creeds, the Spirit rewards those who give up their temporal things for the benefit of Humanum and the Great Way, whether this is their time, sustenance, or even, in rare cases, one’s own life. With this in mind, let’s go back to our scenario: what would be the right thing to do? It is to give up your own sustenance for the day so that another may have at least one day spared from suffering the pangs of hunger. What does charity have to do with public virtue? What is public virtue? First, we must answer the second question if we are to answer the first. Most everyone here in this city can be counted on to do the right thing when it comes in their way. How is this different from public virtue? To have public virtue is to be willing to go out of your way to help others, not just when it is convenient to do so. It is one of the pillars of civilization, without it, civilization would start to crumble. Twelve years ago, when I served as a Curate in Saint-Agellèmes, a storm hit a nearby town and devastated the population living there. The reverend who was leading the clergy during that time sent me and my fellow brethren to minister and comfort the grieving populace. What had impressed me when I got there was the number of people who had come to help as well when they heard of that town’s afflictions. These people came out of their homes and walked or rode several miles out so that they may help those who were in need. And they did help, they cleaned up the debris that were in the streets and helped distribute food to those that were hungered. Because of their efforts, many people were saved. Imagine a society where people look the other way when another is in need and are unwilling to sacrifice something for the greater good. Such a society would not last for long. While there are places that do have such attitudes, such places are impoverished and unstable and are doomed to be conquered by a superior nation. Thus it is important to have public virtue. How might we express public virtue, though? For men it can include serving time in the army or in the guard so that they can help protect the Empire and its citizens. For woman this can include raising a good family. And of course, you can always give time and sustenance to help others when able. I promise you that if you practice public virtue, which is going out of your way to help others even at a personal cost, that the Spirit will bless you and count it towards your path to the Everwatch. Oratario Paean. -Wilhelm Godeffroy Hiberson Head Reverend of the Church of Solidarity
