This past week, a new television show, The Lost Symbol, started streaming on Peacock. The show is an adaptation of Dan Brown’s book of the same name.
With one episode down, I’m afraid that I don’t hold out much hope that this is going to be good TV, or a good treatment of the book.
But, it is a show with Freemasonry at its heart. Some real stuff, some made up stuff, and plenty of strange stuff. Undoubtedly, some men will like it, and equally undoubtedly, some of those men will come and knock on the doors of our Lodges.
Are we prepared to welcome these men?
Are we prepared to explain to them what from the show might actually portray Masonic reality, and what is pure fantasy?
Do we know enough ourselves in order to do that?
For example, in the first episode a Chamber of Reflection was shown. Some Lodges use the CoR, as do some other Masonic bodies. Can we explain its purpose? Can we explain what VITRIOL signifies, what is is to remind us to do?
33rd Degree Masons were mentioned. Can we explain what a 33rd Degree Mason is? How one is selected for that honor? How the 3rd is the highest Masonic Degree and why that is? Can we explain what the Scottish and York Rites are, and how they interact? Can we credibly explain that it is not true that the 33rd Degree Masons secretly run the world and that all other Masons are their dupes?
If we aren’t ready to do these things, how can we make ourselves ready?
Whether it’s the Morgan Affair, the Leo Taxil hoax or now, the Lost Symbol, we as Masons should be able to share with anyone what’s accurate and what’s “made for prime time”. Dan Brown could be the new John Robinson. His books and now the TV series could offer us great opportunities for conversations and education within our lodges with additional inquiries from potentially new candidates. We cannot though, sit idly by, when new candidates are initiated and the lodge experience isn’t improved upon. They will flee our lodges as quickly as they arrived, discontented, frustrated and confused, believing fiction over fact because we couldn’t do something so simple as improving our educational experiences in our lodges.
Well, first off, it's not the 33 degree masons that run the world, it's the 90th degree ones. Them and the alien lizard people. I read it on the internet, so it must be true. But yes, I can discuss all those questions (and more) for anyone that walks through our gates.
As far as the show goes, it's following pretty closely so far to the book, with some attempts at indiana jones thrown in for action. Which could be either good or bad, as I absolutely hated the ending in the book. Ranks right up there with finding out the answer to life, the universe and everything is 42.
The main point to keep in mind is that Dan Brown writes FICTION. Yes, he researches well and writes extremely believable prose, but it is still fiction--make believe, for the sake of entertainment. And what Hollywood does with it is to add even more fiction for the sake of entertainment, not information. I have read Dan Brown's books and found them most entertaining, but I did not revise my views of Freemasonry based on them. I try to keep the facts separate from the fiction. It helps.
Dan Brown, and his ilk, are a mixed blessing. Men will come to our Lodges based on what they see in the show/movie/book. Brown's vision of Masonry will become pop-culture and many will believe these things are factual. I think in the past there has been a thrust in our new members to come for charitable works and fellowship. Now i think, especially with the younger men, many come for the mystical/esoteric, but its based on what Dan Brown says. I'm sure each Lodge has at least one man, maybe many, who are versed in authentic Masic esaoterica and perhaps we should identify these men to bridge the gap between fiction and fact, as mentors to new members. That said, i believe the tide has changed and we need to include the esoteric in our Lodge experience at some level. There is no reason not to, as Masonic esoterica is a real and authentic thing, and some new members are looking for it. I also think our Scottish Rite brethren could do outreach to the blue Lodges with esoterically based presentaton based on AASR symbols and degrees.
A very thoughtful explanation and purpose of the Chamber of Reflection can be found at this link. Written by Br. Andrew Hammer, author of Observing the Craft, nationally known Masonic speaker and current President of the Masonic Restoration Foundation.
I love the idea of reclaiming the narrative. It’s an ideal that intuitively makes sense. The tough part, unfortunately, is could we even agreed on agree on the narrative. We can’t even agree on our origins or when we began.
So what do we do? I would say we explore and educate ourselves - and discuss in lodge. Shift the priority of the lodge meeting to learning about Freemasonry.
When The Da Vinci Code came out in 2006, there was a noticeable bump in new members that ran until 2011. However, the next 5 years from 2012-2016 saw more NPDs and the highest NPD rate in more than 4 decades. Why?
So maybe we do see a bump again with The Lost Symbol like we did with the DaVinci Code.
I would say “reclaiming the narrative” might better be explained by saying reclaiming an understanding of who we are and what we are meant to do by bringing this back to a lodge meeting. The lodges that figure this out will be most successful in retaining those new members.
Whether it’s the Morgan Affair, the Leo Taxil hoax or now, the Lost Symbol, we as Masons should be able to share with anyone what’s accurate and what’s “made for prime time”. Dan Brown could be the new John Robinson. His books and now the TV series could offer us great opportunities for conversations and education within our lodges with additional inquiries from potentially new candidates. We cannot though, sit idly by, when new candidates are initiated and the lodge experience isn’t improved upon. They will flee our lodges as quickly as they arrived, discontented, frustrated and confused, believing fiction over fact because we couldn’t do something so simple as improving our educational experiences in our lodges.
Well, first off, it's not the 33 degree masons that run the world, it's the 90th degree ones. Them and the alien lizard people. I read it on the internet, so it must be true. But yes, I can discuss all those questions (and more) for anyone that walks through our gates.
As far as the show goes, it's following pretty closely so far to the book, with some attempts at indiana jones thrown in for action. Which could be either good or bad, as I absolutely hated the ending in the book. Ranks right up there with finding out the answer to life, the universe and everything is 42.
What is a Chamber of Reflection? When I tried to find it mentioned in our ritual (Washington State) there was nothing.
The main point to keep in mind is that Dan Brown writes FICTION. Yes, he researches well and writes extremely believable prose, but it is still fiction--make believe, for the sake of entertainment. And what Hollywood does with it is to add even more fiction for the sake of entertainment, not information. I have read Dan Brown's books and found them most entertaining, but I did not revise my views of Freemasonry based on them. I try to keep the facts separate from the fiction. It helps.
Dan Brown, and his ilk, are a mixed blessing. Men will come to our Lodges based on what they see in the show/movie/book. Brown's vision of Masonry will become pop-culture and many will believe these things are factual. I think in the past there has been a thrust in our new members to come for charitable works and fellowship. Now i think, especially with the younger men, many come for the mystical/esoteric, but its based on what Dan Brown says. I'm sure each Lodge has at least one man, maybe many, who are versed in authentic Masic esaoterica and perhaps we should identify these men to bridge the gap between fiction and fact, as mentors to new members. That said, i believe the tide has changed and we need to include the esoteric in our Lodge experience at some level. There is no reason not to, as Masonic esoterica is a real and authentic thing, and some new members are looking for it. I also think our Scottish Rite brethren could do outreach to the blue Lodges with esoterically based presentaton based on AASR symbols and degrees.
Reminds me of a term that one of our Past Grand Masters in Washington State used a couple of years back...
….Reclaim the Narrative.
And he's right.
A very thoughtful explanation and purpose of the Chamber of Reflection can be found at this link. Written by Br. Andrew Hammer, author of Observing the Craft, nationally known Masonic speaker and current President of the Masonic Restoration Foundation.
http://masonicrestorationfoundation.org/documents/ATimeWithPatience.pdf
I love the idea of reclaiming the narrative. It’s an ideal that intuitively makes sense. The tough part, unfortunately, is could we even agreed on agree on the narrative. We can’t even agree on our origins or when we began.
So what do we do? I would say we explore and educate ourselves - and discuss in lodge. Shift the priority of the lodge meeting to learning about Freemasonry.
When The Da Vinci Code came out in 2006, there was a noticeable bump in new members that ran until 2011. However, the next 5 years from 2012-2016 saw more NPDs and the highest NPD rate in more than 4 decades. Why?
So maybe we do see a bump again with The Lost Symbol like we did with the DaVinci Code.
I would say “reclaiming the narrative” might better be explained by saying reclaiming an understanding of who we are and what we are meant to do by bringing this back to a lodge meeting. The lodges that figure this out will be most successful in retaining those new members.