A Past Master's Thoughts

  "Everything we hear is an opinion, not a fact. Everything we see is a perspective, not a truth." Marcus Aurelius As Masons we are on the endless quest for truth. I think all of us attempt to make this journey. Part of why there are so many faiths, philosophies, etc out there. As Pilate said in JCSS But what is truth? Not easy to define We both have truths. Are yours the same as mine? I think truth is how we view it. For some it’s a religious doctrine. That’s fine, but your Brother may not share it. So it’s not his truth. Even in Masonic teaching things can be seen a specific way by one, another by another. I’m not saying they are wrong. Just viewed with a different insight. That’s ok, why we all have something to teach and learn. So my Brothers question everything. Even what I post here. It’s my opinion, it may not be your truth as it is mine. Btw Marcus did not really say that. Thank you Google. See what I mean? I love you and may we govern ourselves accordingly

        “There are three classes of men; lovers of wisdom, lovers of honor, and lovers of gain.” Plato With in Masonry the number three is important. Three ages of men. Three degrees of enlightenment. Three greater and lesser lights. Now we see three classes of men. To love wisdom is not always easy. It takes digging with in yourself to find knowledge and apply it. Keep what speaks to you and discard what doesn’t. Lovers of honor and keep to high ideals and principles. Keeping to your word. Knowing you are part of the world but you are not the whole of it. If we keep to and love these simple (yet complex ideas) we become lovers of the growth and gain we experience. This is but one of the keys to our beloved Craft. I love you and may we govern ourselves accordingly  

  Today a Brother from Memphis tagged me in a post. It seems a Anti-Masonic (anti much of anything really) minister is at it again. He is calling for the burning of all Masonic books to happen on Oct 31. I had to laugh. While many my not understanding, I will get to that. There are a ton of Anti-Masonic pages, blogs, sites etc out there. In Kansas we had a guy leave a bunch of Anti Masonic info on our lodges a few years ago. The thing is people fear what they don’t understand. In the end it is about power and control. I’m not going to tell you what to think. That’s for you to do. I will tell you to question everything, even what I post. So burn them books. They are yours to do with as you please. But you had to buy em to burn em. In the words of Steven Tyler to Tipper Gore..”This one’s for you, thank you for an extra 100k sold” Thank you for your support, Rev I love you and may we govern ourselves accordingly

  Yesterday I was tagged in a second post. Kinda funny how that happens. This one brought up the subject of race. Not being one to keep my mouth shut. I’ll throw my hat in the ring. But first let me ask a question. What is our greatest asset? The things we have in common? Our similarities or our differences? I have heard someone say once “Masonry sees no color”. GAOTU forbid if that’s true. You see color every time you step into lodge. Where? Look at your Brothers apron, Craftsman. It is (and should remain) as white as the driven snow. Only through a prism can we see the 7 wavelengths of color that make it. So really we see ALL colors. But it goes beyond that. To say we do not see color is to erase a brothers struggles in life. To ignore his journey that honestly we can learn from. So I ask again. What is our greatest asset and strength. Our similarities or differences? Think about that next time we exchange a token and word. Look in your brothers eye and then the apron and see al...

      There are two cards in the Tarot people fear. One is the Tower. The other The Devil. Neither one is pleasant but if we look at things with proper mind. They are not that bad. I like this version of the card as it is simple. The treasures of the mind locked behind chains. For the majority of us the chains are of our own making. How do we view the world around us? Do we look at all the negative bullshit just waiting for the next “thing”? Or take a minute dig a bit and find that gem. You know the Craftsmen got precious timbers from Lebanon and worked them. Stripped the bark, planed them, sanded them, oiled and placed them. Made them beautiful. That did not happen with out some friction. Are we willing to undergo some friction to see the beauty in the world? I know it’s not always easy. Not meant to be. But when the Craftsman is done with his timber. Or finished tumbling his stones, they are beautiful. Just like you. So take a minute, focus, and throw off those chains. ...

  Look well into thyself; there is a source of strength which will always spring up if thou wilt always look there. Marcus Aurelius One of the first questions a friend is asked before becoming a Brother. In whom do you put your Spiritual trust? To me this is a two fold answer. The first is obvious. The second maybe not as much. The GAOTU is a Craftsman too. In fact the first Craftsman. The GAOTU got the foundation set and then put the Craft to work. The trestle board resides in each of us. For we are a reflection and the handy work of our personal Deity. So I ask..In whom do you put your Spiritual trust? Part of that answer should be YOU. You are the physical creative force of God. And God don’t make junk I love you and may we govern ourselves accordingly

       As a traveling man I have put on a few miles. Tomorrow I will have completed thirty billion three hundred sixty-eight million miles around the sun. That is to say I will turn 52 on the 15, October. It has been a journey for sure. In that time, I have seen my ups and down, lefts and rights. A number of opportunities to be enlightened, and quite a few attitude adjustments. I have been blessed with 2 beautiful daughters, a son and 6 grandkids. I will say it is a joy to see my daughters and their families. Those children are their hearts. In my life I have always sought to belong. Of course, the quest for knowledge did not hurt either. I studied different religions and ideals. Everything from Neo-Pagan to Evangelical Christianity. Yes, that is quite a leap, lol. But it is with in Masonry I found what I was looking for. It does not take away from the things I studied and learned over the years. It helps put it in better perspective. Over the years I have been a me...

Brother Speed Dial (I hope he does not mind that name..I don’t name drop so I gave him one) sent me an article the other day. It really blew me away.  It spoke to me not only on a Craft level but personal (is there a really a difference?) For a while I got so busy focusing on what someone else did I came close to losing sight of my calling.  Below is a quote from that article “Do not become overly entangled in the machinations of those who have elected not to take the wise truths of our Art seriously.” It goes on to say in basic terms “Keep your head down, stay focused on your vision, and work for the good of the hive.” Yes, BSD has a thing for bees. This also got me thinking about things that vex the spirit. What you focus on you feed. I know I’ve said it before, sometimes your own advice is the hardest to take. So as I start this year with my head down, focusing on my labors, removing that which hinders my spirit. I hope to make the sweetest honey. For my Craft, m...

Yesterday,  I attended my District School of Instruction. We had a great time going over ritual and degree work. I will say I am not the best ritualist. But I was motivated to do better. Learn parts so I can assist. But what I walked away with was more than that. It was the ideal that what we do in lodge is not for us. The ritual we do is for our incoming brother. It helps shape their Masonic experience. I have seen initiations where we had two brothers being initiated at a time. The Grand Lecturer asked why? It takes the focus away from the candidate putting their faith and trust in us. Why are we splitting that and putting the focus on multiple? Just going through the motions? It’s a fair question. If you were to join a mystery school would you want the attention you are giving to be returned? I know I would. Our focus should be to initiate and in time raise quality Brothers, not just numbers. Yep some will disagree. I understand that. I just feel we can and should ...

          I have written about pedestals before. The lesson never changes. Do not let yourself be placed on one. It will never end well. There is no way we can live up to someone else’s expectations. I have often found that people put people on elevated status because it a position they wish they were in. When the foundation of the pillar crumbles is under the weight, everyone gets hurt. Those that put the person up there, and the person placed. Even if they enjoyed the “sacred” status for a while. This is why the Masonic uses of the compasses and the plumb are so important. That we stay with in due bounds with all man kind and we remain upright. But, craftsmen we are not yet journeymen and we are learning. Just know sometime we will have to take correction. May we do so with Grace.   I love you and may we govern ourselves accordingly