The Quest

Clips from "The Man of La Mancha."  Yes, Don Quixote (as portrayed in the movie, not so much in the book) is one of my childhood heroes.  I have loved this song "The Impossible Dream (The Quest)" for its bold inspiration since I was in middle school.  I always wanted to follow it, but never thought I could (after all, I thought God wanted me to live small--I discussed this falsehood in "Nice Guys and the Good Guy Rebellion").  Now though, if anything, I think it's too small.  For one, in the clips, I think Dulcinea says something to the effect that all that matters is following the quest, even if you fail and are defeated--that's not supposed to matter as long as you died following your quest!  Well, not to undercut the nobility of Don Quixote, but success or failure means a lot to me.  I will not give my life for a quest, or anything, without caring a great deal whether or not the quest was fulfilled and my sacrifice meaningful.  Only suicidal fools devote everything to something they care nothing about.  Still, the noble call of "The Quest" is something that resonates with me, and always has.  It is, at the least, a good place to start.  So, here's a brief response in the form of a commitment between myself and God, for "The Quest".

To dream the impossible dream,
Father, I swear to You that, as You enable me, I will have the faith and vision to believe You for impossible things, to overcome impossible obstacles by Your help.

To fight the unbeatable foe,
I swear, as You strengthen me, to resist the devil and all the forces of evil, where ever I find them, with all the strength, might, and cunning that You give me.

To bear with unbearable sorrow,
I swear, by Your grace, to be true and sincere in my heart and in my relationships with others, learning to rejoice, laugh, shout, and cry just as You do.

To run where the brave dare not go,
I swear to be brave and bold, to act with courage and valor, not giving in to fear, because I know that You are with me and You are greater than all my fears.

To right the unrightable wrong,
I swear, through Your power working in me, to confront the ills I see in the world around me, overcome them, and help others to do likewise: to leave the world a better place.

To love pure and chaste from afar,
I swear, as You make me able, to love You--my God--, my (someday) future wife, my brothers and sisters in Christ, my neighbors, and my enemies, as You have taught me: purely, righteously, actively, and passionately.

To try when your arms are too weary,
I swear to never give up, as You help me and give me strength day by day for my struggles.

To reach the unreachable star!
Most of all, I swear to reach out to You, the bright Morning Star (Revelation 2:28 & 22:16), and take hold of You--and be taken hold of by You (Philippians 3:12)--forever, through Your grace and by faith in You.

This is my quest:
To follow that star,
No matter how hopeless,
No matter how far!
To fight for the right,
Without question or pause.
To be willing to march into Hell
For the Heavenly cause!
And I know if I'll only be true
To this glorious quest,
Then my heart will lie peaceful and calm
When I'm laid to my rest.
And the world will be better for this,
That one man, scorned and covered with scars,
Still strove with his last ounce of courage
To reach the unreachable star!