"He who fights with monsters should look to it that he himself does not become a monster. And when you gaze long into an abyss the abyss also gazes into you." - Friedrich Nietzsche
Warriors throughout history lived according to strict codes that guided their actions. The Samurai lived by Bushido, The Way of the Warrior. Medieval knights had the Code of Chivalry. These codes may have been lost to history, but among modern warrior circles, their ideals still live.... but I don't think give them the respect and adherence as we should.
Military and Law Enforcement personnel must live by a moral code. It must sink deep into their souls and become part of who they are. In fact, it must become who they are. If not, the job will destroy them.
Adhering to a moral code keeps us from becoming the monsters we fight. I often tell people, "We hunt the evil most people pretend does not exist." We go out and search for everything our mothers taught us to avoid. We go into the worst places, search out the worst people, and see the worst things this world has to offer. You can't do that and not be affected by it.
Time and time again I see good people wander into the abyss and never find their way back out. This job destroys them. I believe that is why warrior societies throughout history placed such emphasis on their Codes. I don't think we place enough emphasis on living by a moral code today. We pay lip service to creeds and codes, but too often that's where it ends.
For me, the code I live by is the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I can't avoid the abyss. It's my duty to go into the darkness, but Christ's teachings illuminate my path, guide my actions and show me the way back out. I'm not perfect, not by a long shot, but the Code (if you will) established by Christ sets the standard.
In the Book of Mormon, the prophet Lehi tells of a vision in which he saw an iron rod leading along a narrow path, through mists of darkness. Those who cling to the iron rod, eventually make it to the Tree of Life and a type of paradise. Those who let go of the rod are lost in the mists of darkness and wander away into destruction.
This imagery describes what I see working in law enforcement and military roles. You must have a code to cling to or you will lose your way in the darkness. For me it's my religious beliefs. It may be different for you. I've known a lot of great cops and soldiers who aren't particularly religious, but they live by a strong, moral code. Those who don't live by a code, don't make it. I've seen it over and over again. They are drawn into the abyss and consumed by it.
So if you fight monsters, or want to some day, find a moral code and make it part of your life. Let it become who you are so you can never be separated from it.
A line from the movie Act of Valor states,
"Before my father died, he said the worst thing about growing old was that other men stopped seeing you as dangerous. I've always remembered that, how being dangerous was sacred, a badge of honor. You live your life by a code, an ethos. Every man does. It's your shoreline. It's what guides you home. And trust me, you're always trying to get home."What is your code?
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