Getting Back to Basics

I have decided to make a promise to all of you, my readers. From this day hence, I am returning this blog back to its original purpose, how do we get young men excited to be Masons and energized to do great work for our Craft. Sadly, for the last few months, this site started to look like a newspaper and less about my own thoughts and feelings. I was trying to scoop stories and I started to sound like a newsman. Frankly, I’m not cut out to be a journalist but I am rather more situated as a commentator.

Wow, I’m feeling totally motivated again. For starters, I was scouring the Internet looking for good stories about my Generation and the current economic downturn. The signs seem to point to better days than what was first expected for this newest generation and their sense of the economy. Although this story is about Australia, I see parallels in my own life and that of my peers.

Warning: this commentary contains scenes of extreme rosiness and Pollyannaishness. If you or a loved one does not feel comfortable reading about silver linings or uncharacteristic flights of unnecessary glee, please do not read any further.

In an article published in the Herald Sun in Australia, Generation Y is spending far less and is “turning their [collective] backs on greed.” The article describes how young people are seeking more face-to-face time and are spending less on things, opting for vintage clothes and buying from farmer’s markets and spending less at the bar. Some might see this as a disadvantage for Freemasonry; we do cost money after all but I think we have a golden opportunity.

Freemasonry offers men something they can’t get anywhere else: a sense of accomplishment, a place to meet men of every belief (politically, social, religiously), and a place dedicated to history and ancient lore. Many lodges have existed for decades if not centuries. If men are looking for a place to congregate, to feel worth something, then the money part won’t matter. Sure, it costs money to be a Freemason, but in the grand scheme of things, it doesn’t amount to as much as many men realize. That is one of our strengths; we can provide worthwhile entertainment, enjoyment, and a feeling of belonging at a reasonable price. We offer tradition, education and an experience that can be found in no other place on the planet.

If young men are looking for a place of no distractions, then this is their place. If they want “face time”, we offer that too. If men are looking for tradition in an uncertain world, then they will find something among brothers of a similar opinion. There is a silver lining in what this economy is presenting. Men want and need some form of fraternalism to be made whole. We offer that and more. We are the greatest Fraternity this blue marble in space has ever seen.

The article concludes with what Gen Y is looking to do. They have seen the global perspective and it just isn’t as promising as before. They are turning into their smaller world, their community, their friends, and their family. “All Masonry is local” is a common phrase in today’s modern Masonic parlance. Lodges exist in towns, unseen by most in the community but they are there, waiting for young men who are looking for safety, support, but most of all, a place that feels like home. I mean, that’s why it’s called a Lodge, isn’t it?

Masonic Question for the Week of July 13

#MQW (via @jonruark) What Masonic symbol means the most to you and why?

Time for Me to Say Something...

I have held back writing anything about the situation in Georgia as I had a wait-and-see attitude about what was happening down there. The main reason for this is that I was very angry and had a difficult time keeping my passions subdued. However, I have decided that now is the time to discuss the events after a cooling-off period.

Here is my blanket statement, racists have no place in Lodge. Masonry is universal and seeks to make good men better. There is no mention of white, black, Protestant, Catholic, Jewish, Muslim, rich or poor. We are a great band of brothers that only looks at a man by his zeal to do good for our Fraternity. The obligation that I took involved nothing based on race, religion or any other belief except a superior belief. I would say that the non-sectarian and non-racist sentiments displayed in Masonry are the reasons I joined.

I have witnessed scurrilous attacks upon people based on immutable qualities, like race or religion, and I am always appalled when it happens. I have friends that are of many faiths and many races but I did not become their friend because I wanted to look multicultural; I became friends with them because we share similar interests. In Masonry, I have always felt that meeting on the level is so important to our time in Lodge. We are all important, we all have something to give which leads me to quote three books that can be used on the altar as a VSL.

"When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things." 1 Corinthians 13:11

Racism is a childish behavior, a behavior that one hears and sees on the playground of an elementary school. It is a behavior learned from parents and carried through to adulthood. For many years, racist comments were the norm. Now, racist beliefs are taboo. I think children have been better educated to be tolerant of others. Sadly, this was not the case for many years and those childish values remain transfixed in the mind of some in the older generations. Our society is beginning to grow up and enter adulthood. I am hopeful that some in our Fraternity will also put away childish things like racism.

"O people, we created you from the same male and female, and rendered you distinct peoples and tribes, that you may recognize one another. The best among you in the sight of Allah is the most righteous. Allah is Omniscient, Cognizant."

The Holy Qur'an 49:13

No differences should be made based on race. As each person comes from the same pair, we are to be valued as equals. The differences are only meant to serve as a way of recognition, of recognizing the great diversity of this world. Tolerance is an important value. We, each one of us, come from a different race or culture but we are all equals in the eyes of the GAOTU. We can contribute much to our global community no matter what our race, religion or culture is..

"In this world, hatred has never been defeated by hatred. Only love can overcome hatred. This is an ancient and eternal law.

Dhammapada 1:5

Brothers, hatred will continue to subside and go away in our gentle Craft only if we continue to open our hearts as long as we remember where we were first made a Mason. Continue to look forward, and continue to make us a progressive science. We may not be in the Post-Racial era but it is a good goal, perhaps the most important goal that the Craft can strive for in this decade. We will become a stronger source of light for the world, we just need to break out of old ways and old ideas.

"The Lost Symbol" Cover Revealed

Well, it seems to be accurate. The newest Dan Brown book will indeed feature Freemasonry. The US cover features the US Capitol and the seal of the Scottish Rite of the Southern Jurisdiction. If there were any doubts before that this book would affect the Craft and how we are perceived, it should dissipate fairly quickly.

What does this mean for us? First, we had better be able to explain to the millions of readers of these books any misconceptions that may appear in the book. Second, we had better be ready for the onslaught of curious men who's interest will be sparked by this book in joining our Fraternity. I know many brothers are concerned about the quality of the men that will be on our doorstep and with good reason. It will be our job to remove the wheat from the chaff. Of course, we have been doing that for centuries so we should have it down by know. And really, when was the last time you ran into a bad candidate.

The UK version of the cover uses a key with a Square and Compass as its handle. It also prominently displays the US Capitol building on its face.

*****Update*******

Okay, so Esquire at the Manthanein Chronicles blog has corrected me on the SR seal. It is, in fact, more similar to the seal used by the Northern Jurisdiction. This is what I get for not being a Scottish Rite Mason. If you want to check out the analysis, go to his blog post here.

*****Update*******

7/9/09

So I think the Scottish Rite bodies may need to get ready for the onslaught of interest. The reason I say this is that if you add the numbers for the date, 9/15/09, equals 33. Interesting.

Masonic Question for the Week of July 6

This has also been published on Twitter:

1st #MQW (via @nickjohnson): Does your Lodge still read the minutes?