It was not part of their blood,
It came to them very late
With long arrears to make good,
When the English began to hate.

They were not easily moved,
They were icy-willing to wait
Till every count should be proved,
Ere the English began to hate. 

Their voices were even and low,
Their eyes were level and straight.
There was neither sign nor show,
When the English began to hate. 

It was not preached to the crowd,
It was not taught by the State.
No man spoke it aloud,
When the English began to hate. 

It was not suddenly bred,
It will not swiftly abate,
Through the chill years ahead,
When Time shall count from the date
That the English began to hate.

– Rudyard Kipling

Men are made to protect the territory assigned to them and to assure that everything within that territory fulfills its God-ordained purpose. This is what manhood is designed for. This is how a man fulfills his purpose. His decision to “own” his field moves both the best that is within him and the best that God has to offer into that partnership I call Great Manhood.

Everything noble and manly arises from this. The gifts of a man for standing guard. The power of a man’s words to guide and encourage. The radiation of a man’s presence and his capacity to stand down enemies with barely a word. His skill for scanning a scene and detecting threat or need for repair. The insight to envision a future and fashion a plan to achieve it. The ability of men to team up, assume tasks according to skill, and go to war. The fierce capacity of most men to love deep, love rowdy, and love with almost terrifying passion. These are just some of the gifts that begin to emerge in a man when he decides to tend his field to the glory of God.

– Stephen Mansfield

The Stranger within my gate,
He may be true or kind,
But he does not talk my talk–
I cannot feel his mind.
I see the face and the eyes and the mouth,
But not the soul behind.

The men of my own stock,
They may do ill or well,
But they tell the lies I am wanted to,
They are used to the lies I tell;
And we do not need interpreters
When we go to buy or sell.

The Stranger within my gates,
He may be evil or good,
But I cannot tell what powers control–
What reasons sway his mood;
Nor when the Gods of his far-off land
Shall repossess his blood.

The men of my own stock,
Bitter bad they may be,
But, at least, they hear the things I hear,
And see the things I see;
And whatever I think of them and their likes
They think of the likes of me.

This was my father’s belief
And this is also mine:
Let the corn be all one sheaf–
And the grapes be all one vine,
Ere our children’s teeth are set on edge
By bitter bread and wine.

– Rudyard Kipling

It’s good for a man to suffer but suffering is a learned behavior. To get better at managing suffering a man should suffer a little every day.

Then when the real challenges of life set in he can say, “I’ve seen you before, and I know I can defeat you.”

What if life’s purpose isn’t just to get by or keep up with the Jonses?

What if you were placed here to become as physically and spiritually powerful as possible and assist in the destruction of evil?