The following is a presentation I give to newly passed Fellowcrafts, explaining what we as Freemasons expect of them as Masons and as members of society.
ORDER NOT CHAOS
I am going to reference a particular paragraph from the Second Degree Charge, and show how relevant it is to the manner in which the human family is governed or ordered. The inspiration for this topic is the wisdom of our Founders. I hope to show just how perceptive they were with the ideas they put forth to impress upon our minds wise and serious truths. The Second Degree Charge gives a blueprint for how a well-ordered human family can function effectively. The passage I am talking about begins “In the providence of God, with the breath of life, each of us became a member of the human family.” The most significant aspect of this sentence is that it begins with the words “in the providence of God.” Everything in life happens “in the providence of God;” everything in Freemasonry happens “in the providence of God.” This is order. This is a wise and serious truth.
What is it that happens in the providence of God? With the breath of life, we go from being one, to being one of many. Further, we understand that as we grow we face the needs and responsibilities of life and if as adults, we are fortunate enough to join the Masonic Fraternity, then as Fellowcrafts we understand that we face a duty to our neighbor. In these few words we are reminded that as Masons, we have a duty to that human family we joined when we took our first breath of life. What is the nature of this duty? “God never brought us into being to live in the narrow groove of a selfish individualism, but as brethren, one of another, in mutual dependence and support.” The nature of this duty is that we are to live as brethren, as a Masonic Fraternity, in mutual dependence and support, not “in the groove of a selfish individualism.” The “groove of a selfish individualism” is the place where those live who have not seen the Light. Brothers mutually depend upon each other. Brothers mutually support each other. Reflect. This is order. This is a wise and serious truth.
Is there more order for the human family? “No household can fashion the home where dissension and selfishness knell the death of unity and peace.” The foundation of the human family is the home, not the household, the home. What is the difference? The home is a place where dissension and selfishness have been banned forever. Dissension and selfishness live in the household; unity and peace live in the home. Masons live in homes because we live in mutual dependence and support, others live in households. This is order. This is a wise and serious truth.
Is there a further order for the human family? “No community can protect character where petty strife is born of mischievous tongues.” Why must character be protected? We understand this answer too. “Your manhood does not depend upon your position, but upon your character. The establishment as well as the acknowledgement of true manhood is in your own hands. Do not have two characters; one for your fellows and another for privacy. Be a true man in your own home as well as out in life.” Here is reference to that most profound of all Masonic concepts - the true man. To Masons, the texture of our characters is absolute. It is protected in a community - a community composed of homes whose inhabitants are true men, living in mutual dependence and support, as brothers. This is order. This is a wise and serious truth.
True men live in homes, communities and cities. “No city can become a place of prosperous growth whose citizens care little and do less for its advancement.” True men live in homes, communities, cities and states. “No State can derive the benefit of its own resources whose people obey but the one law of individual inclination and greed.” True men are the real resources of the State and true men could never obey but the one law of individual inclination and greed. Finally, true men are ordered by a government. “No government can stand firm whose adherents are blind to the unalterable law, in union is strength, in harmony is peace.” True men understand the importance of this order. True men live as brethren in mutual dependence and support. This is a wise and serious truth.
On the surface in this passage our Founders suggest an order for the human family as it could work today. There is the individual, the home, the community, the city, the state and finally the government. Masonically, each entity should be inhabited by true men living in mutual dependence and support - the more true men the better the human family; the more successful the established order.
However, just below the surface I believe that what we have is another brilliant example of Masonic double meaning. This passage not only presents a blueprint for order in the human family, but it presents a blueprint for order in the Masonic Family as well. Reflect! “No household can become a home where dissention and selfishness knell the death of unity and peace.” It is no stretch to say that no group of men can become a successful Masonic Lodge where dissention and selfishness knell the death of unity and peace. Be a true man in your own home and your Masonic Lodge where we all should live as brethren in mutual dependence and support.
To carry this further: no Masonic Lodge can protect character, in other words, function as ordered by our tenets, where petty strife is born of mischievous tongues. No Masonic Lodge can become a place of prosperous growth where brothers care little and do less for its advancement. No Masonic Lodge can derive the benefit of its own resources, its true men, when its brothers obey but the one law of individual inclination and greed. No Masonic Lodge can stand firm whose brothers are blind to the unalterable law in union is strength, in harmony is peace. No Masonic Lodge can function properly where men do not exhibit mutual dependence and support; where brothers do not show each other the full respect implicit in these words. Your Masonic Lodge is a home. This is a most wise and serious truth.
It makes no difference whether we are talking about citizens, people, adherents, or brothers. To make the human family work, to make our Lodges work, we must adhere to the few basic principles of order stated so eloquently in the Second Degree Charge. We must banish dissention, selfishness and petty strife born of mischievous tongues to achieve unity and peace. We must care and do everything in our power to advance the cause of Freemasonry. We must banish individual inclination and greed and live as true men understanding that in union there is strength, in harmony there is peace and in brotherhood there is mutual dependence and support.
Why? Because as Masons, we are told that although we are but one man among many, we cannot escape or shirk our share in this great responsibility. No matter what we may think; no matter how insignificant we may feel, ours is the responsibility of helping maintain order in the human family of which the Masonic family is an integral part. So my brothers, there are really two responsibilities implied in the admonition “you cannot escape or shirk your share in this great responsibility;” one as a member of the human family, and the other as a member of the Masonic family. No matter what you do, you should not escape or shirk either. You might have been able to as just another member of the human family, but as a member of the Masonic human family, as a true man, never.
In the Providence of God, our great responsibility is to our neighbor who lives in a home, a community, a city, a state, and who is ordered by a government. In the Providence of God, our great responsibility is to our Masonic Family which is ordered by the tenets of the Craft. Both responsibilities are fulfilled as the true man strives to order his existence by living in His Providence, mutually dependent upon and supportive of his brethren, never forgetting that he is the human image of the Mason's God and that this is THE most wise and serious truth of all.
No comments:
Post a Comment