Everyone wonders about Laurence's Roles.
To begin with, he maintains fewer ones than any other
Superior: among other things, he simply doesn't have
the time to stay away from the War very often. He
never talks about them, either: while you can count on
Michael chuckling over some demonic drill sergeant
getting the surprise of his life, or perhaps Novalis
showing off pictures of the baby she helped deliver
last week, Laurence just sits there and smiles. His
Servitors have learned to recognize when their
Archangel is maintaining a particular Role, though,
and while nobody means to blab, well, word gets out.
When that happens, those interested keep an eye out
for young idealism on any number of violent
battlefields. Most believe that he emulates Michael
and goes to be a soldier: some suspect, instead, that
he becomes a police officer of some sort.
They couldn't be more wrong.
Somewhere in the world, there's a monastery. The
actual one changes every seventy years or so, but
there's always one that seems especially peaceful.
The monks are particularly known for their holiness
and charity, the surroundings (whether in the
countryside or in a busy city) are amazingly serene,
and the music that comes from it ... well, there's no
other word for it than 'glorious'.
And, somewhere in the middle of it all, is a monk,
humble, pious and happy.
Laurence never seeks to be abbot: he never even seeks
to be more than a simple monk. He starts as a
postulant of no particular rank or station, and goes
about his days and prayers with a fervor that is no
less real for having been done dozens of times before.
He grows 'old' in his Role (with one or two of his
most trusted Servitors to hold his place when he must
put his full effort into the War), and in the process,
quietly and joyfully reaffirms the faith of those
around him. His fellow-monks soon learn that Brother
Laurence seems to have a special understanding of the
world, God, and man's relationship to both - and that
he is the person to speak to when one is struggling
with one's vocation. By the time that he finally dies
of 'old age', he has forged links among his brethren
that last even after he's gone. Not that Laurence is
ever really gone: there'll always be Servitors of the
Sword that will be in the area. The Archangel of the
Sword may not be able to protect every Catholic
institution, but by God he'll protect these.
It may seem odd for such a ferocious warrior to devote
himself so wholeheartedly to a Role dedicated to
peace, but Laurence has his reasons. Doing this means
that he has a constant reminder about why there's a
War in the first place. You can't effectively defend
something that you don't love. Being among humans,
ministering to the sick, feeding the hungry,
comforting the dying and bereaved, deliberately
seeking a subordinate position in obedience to God's
will - all of this reminds Laurence about why he loves
humanity. It also allows him to serve this maddening,
contradictory, wonderful species directly. Laurence
misses that. There are many joys in service. The
peace that he finds here stays with him when he must
do war upon the Enemy.
And, admittedly, it does give him a place where he can
sit and think without too much distraction.
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