Church

Life's Highest Ideal

After discovering Miss O’Hara, I’ve been gradually reading through the back issues in her blog. The one I came across today during my lunch break is titled More Dating Fun and is a real gem.

In it, she points to an article by Shmuley Boteach that makes the romantic in me leap up and turn flips.

The effect of women being placed on a pedestal was that men had to work hard to be thought worthy of a woman. Winning a damsel was a lifelong pursuit and a man would spend a lifetime in refinement of his character in order to win a woman. Even after marriage, a wife maintained her status as a lofty honor. Outside of worshipping God, honoring women was life’s highest ideal. A man devoted his existence to protecting and cherishing the woman he was lucky enough to have as his wife. Like a man who is taken aback by the sight of a majestic mountain peak, he complimented her because he was in awe of her.

And Miss O’Hara doesn’t pull any punches in her writing. Heck, just the word emasculated makes me nervous. She echoes a lot of things I remember reading in Wendy Shalit’s A Return to Modesty, which I highly recommend.

Speaking as a male, it’s rather tough to be a knight, albeit a modern modest one. Which is why when I find other guys who aim for the same ideal, they are a great treasure. It’s much easier to be a Tender Warrior when you’re Locking Arms. (I really like Stu Weber, if that’s not obvious.)

And no, Miss O’Hara, you’re not hideous. 🙂