Oath

When faced with the question: What is an oath? I immediately turned to my love of art history and paintings. Jacques-Louis David's Oath of the Horatii symbolizes the eternal notion of an oath and the sincerity of the moment. The Horatii were a family in Rome, the city that was warring with another rival city. The three brothers of the Horatii (the ones with their arms extended) pledged to their father an eternal oath: to go to war, to fight, against three brothers from the rival city to defend their homeland. The women weep, sad with the thought that they may never see their brothers or husbands again. The men may die fighting for their beliefs. However, the men remain firm, resolute in the decision to defend honor and values and a way of life.

This nationalist sentiment can be translated to Greek life. We decided to go through recruitment, we decided to join our houses, we decided to go through new member processes, and ultimately we decided to become initiated. No one forces us into initiation, and I am willing to bet that we were all offered an opportunity to leave before the real parts of initiation begin. We had a choice. We can leave. But we stay. We, like the Horatii brothers, have made an oath--an eternal promise to something bigger than us--that we will promote the cause, and we will wave the flag to fight for what is right and good and just. 

We affirmed the principles of our organizations and promised to live by them. We promised to live by them not just sometimes, not just when it's convenient. We promised to live by them every minute, of every hour, of every day. 

This past weekend, I was initiated into the Fraternal Values Society. FVS is a Greek organization dedicated to living by the values and ritual of our own societies. We reaffirm our creeds, our mission statements, and our organizational values. We promise to live by them and to promote them whenever we can. We are supposed to be the leaders to challenge the community in order to grow, expand, and improve. 

I challenge all of you to do the same. Live the ritual. Analyze your creed. Figure out how your organization elevates you to a higher standard of living. Live it. Every day.