by Midnight Freemason Contributor
WB Adam Thayer
I imagine this will be quite unpopular this morning, as I'm seeing cries for war and violence from many of my friends and brothers who should know better, but I believe that it is important in times of trouble to make the case for peace and nonviolence. When our hearts are broken and our spirits crushed, it can be very comforting to seek retribution and vengeance, and so terribly difficult to find the path of love and compassion.
In the days to come, there will be beautiful political rhetoric coming from all quarters, shouting that France should use the recent attacks as a justification to invade Middle-Eastern countries, seeking out the terrorists who chose to give their lives in pursuit of creating chaos. Already, President Hollande stating that French retribution will be “swift and merciless,” and later says “We will lead the fight. It will be ruthless.” As the machines of war begin their horrible grinding anew, those of us who are the raw materials for the machines wait in fear to see the inevitable result. Must it only be this way, and no other?
It is often thought that seeking peace is a path of cowardice, of appeasement, and of taking the easiest solution, but I tell you that there is nothing more difficult than to rail against your natural inclination to meet violence with violence. To fight against our own nature requires us to not only be aware of our reactions and prejudices, but to actively seek to overcome them.
Still, some will say, we cannot let an attack go unanswered, since it would be a sign of our weakness. We must make a show of our strength, by the sheer power of our military forces, so that none will dare attack us again. Instead, I say to you, let your compassion be your strength. Turn your other cheek while it is still an option; show your enemies that you will not be bullied into responding with violence, but are enlightened by the ways of peace and love.
Many great men have said many great words about peace. One quote that should resonate with Freemasons is found in the words of Dr. King: “Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that.” As Freemasons, we are called to be the light in the world, by our very presence to improve our surroundings, and to leave the world a better place than it was when came into it. We cannot do this by carrying around the darkness of hatred in our hearts.
It will be said that we must fight for our peace. The only way we can feel truly safe is to destroy those who would destroy us. Instead, I would tell you what The Doctor told a town who had turned to a mob: “Violence doesn’t end violence, it extends it.” You cannot hope to remove a quantity by adding to it; add water to a bucket, and you’ll have a full bucket. Continue to add water and you’ll overflow the bucket, but you will still not succeed at having less water in the bucket. The same holds true for violence; you cannot hope to remove violence from the world by adding to it; rather, you will reach a point where you have filled the world with it while forcing out those good qualities we should be building towards. As George Carlin says, fighting for peace is like (euphemism for making love) for virginity.
To play Devil’s Advocate, however, let us assume for one moment that you are somehow able to destroy every single one of your enemies. Have you attained real peace? If so, how will you be expected to keep it? Anything won by force must be kept by force; once you have established that you are willing to turn to violence, then violence is what will be expected from you.
I understand what the French citizens are feeling right now; I, like many of my countrymen, turned to retribution in the days following September 11th, and was seduced by the promise of finding peace through murder. When the leader of the terrorists who had attacked us had been killed, I should have found peace, but in the years since I’ve found that we are not any safer than I did on the day we were attacked, and that if anything we have only found more enemies to fight.
We don’t often talk about the fear that our Brother Hiram must have faced in his final moments. Seeing the trap set for him, he attempted to flee in fear, but instead found himself in progressively worse danger until, finally facing his inevitable demise, he found courage and peace at the last. He displayed a courage that is sadly undervalued in today’s society: the courage to stay true to one’s convictions in the face of adversity.
The world, right now, is a terrifying place. We see enemies lurking in every bush, hiding around every corner, and in the faces of strangers who look different than us. As Freemasons, we are called to shine our light in every place, even when we’re afraid, and to greet the stranger on the level. We may be hurt for it, we may even meet with death, however we are called to face it bravely, and not give in to our fears. In this, we can set the example for generations to come.
My brothers, I have often ended my writings by turning to Fred Rogers for wisdom, and if you will bear with me, I will do so again. When faced with world-changing events such as the attacks on Paris, he would remember the words of his mother: “Always look for the helpers, there’s always someone who is trying to help.” We are surrounded by good people who are ready to rush in to aid and assist us, and more importantly, we have the power to BE the helpers. I hope that, when you feel the urge to turn to hatred because of your fear, you will instead turn to compassion because of your love.
~AT
Bro. Adam Thayer is the Junior Warden of Lancaster Lodge No 54 in Lincoln (NE) and the Worshipful Master of Oliver Lodge No. 38 in Seward (NE). He’s an active member of the Scottish Rite, and Knight Master of the Lincoln Valley Knights of Saint Andrew. Adam serves on the Education Committee of the Grand Lodge of Nebraska. You can contact him at adam.thayer@gmail.com
