Power

To have it, we must only claim it

“A peculiar system of morality, veiled in allegory, and illustrated by symbols.”

There you have it, the widely accepted definition of Freemasonry.

Centralia Masonic Temple, 100 Year Anniversary

Its very first clause points out that Freemasonry is a unique moral system. That of course means that Freemasonry is a moral institution, designed and built in order to teach lessons of morality.

I would argue that properly, Freemasonry seeks to teach its lessons of morality not only to those it Initiates, but to the wider world as well. That Freemasonry seeks to be a civilizing influence within our world.

Surely our lessons of universal brotherhood, faith, hope, charity, liberty, equality, fraternity, brotherly love, relief, and truth, are applicable to every human being, not only to those who have been accepted as Masons.

It is my belief that we all have a duty to push these ideals out into wider society. We attempt to do this primarily through our own personal actions, and the way we choose to live our lives. We aim to set a good example that those who surround us may decide to emulate.

But we also communicate. Some of us write, some of us give presentations, some make videos, others podcast. Many of these communications will provide moral lessons, give moral perspectives.

Those of us Masons who communicate about Freemasonry in these ways do so in order to reach our fellow Freemasons. We seek to connect with and provide value to our Brothers.

But these lessons can help others as well. They might well reach a non-Mason who could find value in the words we share.

And indeed words are the most powerful force at humanity’s disposal. Empires built by men who have controlled fearsome military forces have always fallen, but the words of men have come down to us from thousands of years ago. An army’s might is surely awesome, but always only for a time. It fades away. Only words can live on forever. Only words can make a meaningful impact on our world for all time.

Words can destroy injustice. Words can teach millions how to lead a good and fulfilling life. Words can instruct the young and the old.

But only if they exist. The most magnificent thought will die with its thinker unless it has been written down. (Or delivered in some other way with modern technology.)

But even if that thought is written, it can have no impact unless it is shared. The scrap of paper it is written on is ephemeral, it will be lost, and with no one to read it, there is no one to benefit from it.

To impact our world, we must record our highest thoughts, and we must share them with others. If others who encounter them are moved by those thoughts, well then we are exercising the greatest power known to humanity.

As members of a moral society, we may well choose to record our thoughts about creating a life worth living in some medium or another. We may choose to write about faith, hope, or charity. We may choose to podcast about brotherly love, relief, or truth. We may make a video about liberty, equality, or fraternity. Indeed we may record our perspective about Freemasonry.

We may, as Worshipful Master of our Lodge, communicate about these things from our position as leader of men. We may well do this as Grand Master.

If we do these things, and if our Brothers share our communications with others, then we are making a positive change in our world that may well outlast ourselves.

It is, I fear, a somewhat common lament that Freemasonry in the United States no longer seems to hold the same power in our society as it did in the past.

We look back on the names of so many Presidents and Governors who were Freemasons and wonder why it is not the same in this young century. We wonder where the Washingtons, Franklins, Trumans, and Roosevelts have gone.

I would argue that Freemasonry still holds this caliber of men within its ranks. That men with the potential for greatness still seek Initiation into our Mysteries.

But that we have become overly insular. So focused on the bureaucracy and form of Freemasonry that we tend to forget its soaring beauty. That far too often we focus on the tree in front of us, missing out on the entirety of the forest.

We need to truly seek the beauties of our Ancient Craft. Finding them, we need to record our view of them in some communicable form. Then we need to share that with others.

In turn, those of us who receive these communications need to pass them along to yet more people. We need, each and every one of us, to share. To forward good Masonic news along to our friends and Brothers. To hit the like and share buttons. Doing so, we impact our Fraternity, and we impact the wider world. In this way we build Legendary Freemasonry.

I’ll close with an example.

Quite recently our Grand Master here in Washington held a fundraiser at which he gathered an extraordinary amount of money for our charitable endeavors. An amount of money that would impress not only Freemasons, but anyone in our society. And it is all earmarked for a cause that everyone everywhere can support.

We often hear a lament that the general public doesn’t see Freemasonry, or what we do in society. That most don’t even know that we exist.

I would argue that our Grand Master’s wildly successful fundraiser would certainly make a very positive impression on the public at large. If they knew about it.

But, of course they don’t.

They don’t because we, as Freemasons, are far too insular. We don’t say a word about it.

Imagine instead if every Freemason in this Jurisdiction, if thousands of us posted about it on Facebook and Twitter, wrote about it on Reddit. If thousands of us had done that, millions of people would have read about it.

That is how we regain our Craft’s rightful place in society.

If we enjoy a Mason’s podcast, we need to hit the like button, subscribe to his channel, and encourage others to do the same. If we see a Facebook post about something good a Lodge has done, we need to share it. We can’t continue hiding the Light of Freemasonry under a basket if we hope to have its rays light the world.

But it is not simply an issue of promoting our Craft. It is an issue of promoting the ideals of our Craft. Brotherly Love, relief, truth, faith, hope, charity, liberty, equality, and fraternity. These are the ideals that shine through the perspectives that our Brothers record. By sharing the work of our Brothers with others we are pushing these ideals out into the world.

We are claiming the power to speak with authority about the morality that Freemasonry holds so dear. We are acting as a moral institution should.