A Path To Providence
Book Review
I’ve just finished the book A Path To Providence; The Creation Of The Middle Chamber Program by MW Shaun Bradshaw and W Ben Wallace.
The book was given to me by W Brother Ken Lane of Seattle’s Esoterika Lodge. You can find a copy for yourself at: Laudable Pursuit.
The book discusses why and how the Grand Lodge of North Carolina created and formalized a program of esoteric instruction. That program focusing exclusively on the philosophical and spiritual lessons contained, in a veiled state, within our Masonic ritual.
A Path To Providence will not teach its readers exactly how to create a similar program within their own Jurisdictions, for certainly each Jurisdiction is different. Nor will it explain the exact content that the authors think such programs should contain.
Rather it is a powerful call for Grand Lodges to take up the cause of esoteric education.
The book makes four points extremely well:
Our ritual does contain veiled meaning. This is very plainly stated in the widely accepted definition of Freemasonry, yet very often ignored or overlooked. “A peculiar system of morality veiled in allegory and illustrated by symbols.”
Freemasonry is an initiatic society that seeks to impart lessons and experiences to men, so that those men can significantly improve their lives.
That many men knocking on our West Gate today are doing so because they believe that Freemasonry contains veiled wisdom and they are seeking that knowledge. We can retain those men if we set them on a path whereby they may peer behind the veils, but will not if we deny that the veils exist, or simply ignore those veils.
That if Grand Lodges do not provide the information that so many Masons seek today, those men will try to find it elsewhere, primarily online, and that while good online resources about Freemasonry do exist, mountains of wild speculation and misinformation exist as well. As a result, if Grand Lodges do nothing, many Masons will be led astray.
I believe that each of these points is very well taken.
To define Freemasonry as “veiled in allegory and illustrated by symbols” and then deny that anything exists that is veiled behind our ritual is frankly absurd. No thinking Mason can honestly deny that our rituals contain both exoteric and esoteric meanings.
Our Lodges should not only work to create Masons, but to use an old term, should work to create Bright Masons. Masons who can take what they learn within Freemasonry to improve their own lives, and who can pass that knowledge down to those who come after them.
We hear, over and over again, that the younger men joining our Lodges today want Masonic education. They became Masons in order to learn about Masonry, an admirable pursuit that can fulfill a lifetime. But far too often that message falls on deaf ears. Just this week I attended a lodge where old minutes were “read for information only.” Those minutes consisted of a listing of events, all of which had passed by the time of the reading, and all of which were read in full. If we don’t give men a compelling reason to attend Lodge, if we don’t strip out the time wasting nonsense, they will not attend.
Grand Lodges are the ultimate authority within their Jurisdiction. All of Freemasonry is dependent upon Grand Lodges and their will. As such, Grand Lodges do have a responsibility to put out quality, vetted information about the philosophical aspects of our Ancient Craft. The alternative, that lacking anything from Grand Lodge, Masons may fall prey to the first crank who ranks well in a web search is sad at best, scary at worst.
A Path To Providence is a strong call to action to Grand Lodges. It calls upon us to create and operate educational programs focused on the philosophical and spiritual lessons within Masonic ritual. It is a challenge that I think we need to accept.
If you know a Mason who might enjoy reading A Path To Providence will you consider forwarding this email along to him?
To have GL take up the banner of education, to get us all on the same page, would be a fantastic endeavor worth moving forward on. Many lodges, in their own ways, try to provide esoteric education but it’s hit and miss. If GL could be a consistent leader in the area education it would be a great step toward the revival of Freemasonry.
Many have attended the middle chamber from my district. 4 full days of education, meditation, reflection, reading. It's almost like a boot camp and generally well attended. Nc has invested a tone in masonic education over the last decades. Wilkerson college (general speakers), the Davie academy (how to run a lodge and manage financials), and the middle chamber(escoteric). They also maintain an active speakers bureau (registry of men willing to travel to lecture).