From The Archives: The 50 Year Member: Part Fourteen - Whisper Good Council

by Midnight Freemason Contributor

Bro. Bill Hosler, PM

“I can't believe I said yes to this.” Pudge punched his pillow as he grumbled, “This ground is as hard as a rock!” The old man replied as his voice could be heard in the darkness, “Well, I'm sure there are plenty of rocks in the ground you are laying on.” Pudge not seeing the humor in the 50-year member's remark and began to mutter, “I could be home right now playing a video game, eating pizza, and falling asleep in my nice comfy bed. Why in the world did the Master think it would be a great idea for the members of the lodge to all go camping together?” He continued muttering as he abused the pillow underneath his head.

As the sun was setting, the crickets could be heard outside the tent that the two men were sharing. The campground sounds were deadening as the men of the lodge were slowly settling into their tents; while the sun was in the west at the close of the day.

“I'm guessing you aren't the “Outdoorsy type"", the old man whispered with a smile that could not be seen in the darkness.  “Nope.” Pudge grunted,  “I just don't see the sense in spending a fortune on equipment so you can live like a homeless person.” The old man chuckled, “I never thought of it that way. I just think the Master thought it would be a way for the Brethren to bond and discover ideas that can better the lodge.”  Pudge turned over in his sleeping bag searching for that elusive comfortable position. “I know.  I don't mean to be this grumpy. I just hate the idea of spending the entire weekend with THAT guy.”

“That guy?” The 50-year member uttered with a question in his voice. “Which, THAT guy?” Pudge hesitated to answer, “Benny Hart.” I can't stand THAT guy. He is a blowhard. All he does is brag about all the stuff he owns and the women he runs around with, and he is constantly abusing alcohol. I suspect there are other things he does that we don't know about that I'm sure would make us look bad.  I don't know if I can keep my mouth shut around him for an entire weekend.”

“I can see that. You can't like everyone.” The old man expressed, “Let me ask you this, what have you done to try to help him?” Pudge sat up in his sleeping bag, “Help him! Why in the world would I try to help that blowhard?” “Because he is your Brother.”, the 50-year member replied.  “Have you tried talking to him about his failings? Put your arm around his shoulder and try to whisper good counsel in his ear? It's easy to hate someone, but the hardest part is holding out your hand to help a Brother see the error of his ways.”

Pudge’s voice began to rise, “There is no talking to that guy! We would have been better off if we never let him in!” The old man said “Maybe, but he's in and now we have to deal with him. We each had an opportunity, you included, to prevent it.  If he is as bad as you say he is then each of us could have investigated his background.  Sitting in on his interview or talking to him on a casual basis could have raised a flag. Unless of course, he was purposely hiding his background and personality. We should have seen his character and prevented his membership.”

Pudge quietly sat in the darkness. “You are right. I had a feeling about him when I interviewed him. I never mentioned it to anyone.” The 50-year member seemed surprised, “You did? And you didn't say anything? If nothing more you could have thrown a black ball during his vote.” “I could have” Pudge muttered. I thought that maybe it was just me. I also know the lodge needs additional members so I decided to say nothing. I had hoped I was wrong and he would turn out all right.”

“That is one of the big problems Masonry has today.”, the old man exclaimed. "We hold our noses and vote in people because we need the members. Sadly we have been so short-sided focusing on the membership numbers that we don't think about the man we are bringing in. No one ever stops to think if we were more selective and truly guarding the west gate then the men we bring in might stay around.” Pudge was still inside his sleeping bag. His voice whispered through the darkness, “I'm afraid if the west gate would have been well guarded when I tried to enter it, I probably wouldn't be here today.” The old man seemed confused by Pudge's statement. “Why on earth would you think that?” A pause in the conversation seemed like an eternity before Pudge responded. “Because they probably wouldn't have let me in. I didn't look like the typical Mason when I joined. My tattoos, hair, and even my dress screamed out that I was not Masonic material.”

The old man laughed, “Buddy I will admit I had my concerns when I first saw you. But I got to know you. I learned to look past your physical appearance. I know you have heard a million times it’s the inward not the outward. There is a lot of truth to that. We need to look at the inward by doing a good candidate investigation. Not just talking to the man and his family.  We should talk to the people the man interacts with in his daily life. Find out what kind of man he is.”

The old man continued, “Many men want to join the Fraternity.  Many want to become better men or find a deeper meaning in life. Sadly, there are those men who join that think by having a square and compass on their lapel will help them in business or even allow them to network with prospective clients. Worse yet, it will give them the appearance of respectability.  We need to weed those men out from the men who wish to become Masons to better themselves.”

“If we attract just numbers then that is exactly what we will get. Just numbers.  We will have men who join and soon realize that being a member does not help them with their mercenary motives.  They will either just quit coming, demit or allow themselves to become suspended for nonpayment of dues.   Then we are in no better place than where we started.”

“But, if we allow only those men of quality, the ones who wish to become better men through service to themselves and their worthy Brothers, we will once again become a great fraternity.  Those men will thrive and will continue to come to the lodge and be a positive influence on all those who surround them.  Everyone will benefit from each other’s company.”

Pudge lay in silence as the old man spoke.  “I know you are right.  I would rather be surrounded by a small group of great men instead of a group of 100 men like that Benny.” “Most people would Pudge", the old man replied.  "But since he is already in, we must do our job. One of the things a great man can do is to have the courage to face things he doesn't want to and tackle those tasks that are either unpleasant or seem to be impossible.  I think one of those tasks for you is to try and talk to Benny.  Whisper good counsel in his ear and hopefully, your influence will have a positive effect on him.  If it doesn't help, then at least you will have a clear conscience and you know you tried to help him see the error of his ways.” 

Pudge turned over in his sleeping bag once again.  Groaning as he turned.  “OK I'll start in the morning, that is if I can ever find a comfortable position to fall asleep.”

The old man laughed.  “You will son.  Soon you will fall asleep and then wake up as the sun rises in the east to open and govern the day with the smell of bacon cooking over a campfire.  If that doesn't start your day off right I don't know what will.  I'll even make sure there is a pot of coffee brewing on the fire just for you.” Pudge giggled, “Plain coffee isn't my favorite but I guess it will have to do.  Maybe next year I can talk the Master into camping outside a coffee shop.  That way I can wake up to the smell of a latte in the morning.”

Both men chuckled to themselves as they each fell fast asleep under the stars to the sound of crickets in the distance.

~BH

WB Bill Hosler was made a Master Mason in 2002 in Three Rivers Lodge #733 in Indiana. He served as Worshipful Master in 2007 and became a member of the internet committee for Indiana's Grand Lodge. Bill is currently a member of Roff Lodge No. 169 in Roff Oklahoma and Lebanon Lodge No. 837 in Frisco,Texas. Bill is also a member of the Valley of Fort Wayne Ancient Accepted Scottish Rite in Indiana. A typical active Freemason, Bill also served as the High Priest of Fort Wayne's Chapter of the York Rite No. 19 and was commander of of the Fort Wayne Commandery No. 4 of the Knight Templar. During all this he also served as the webmaster and magazine editor for the Mizpah Shrine in Fort Wayne Indiana.

From the Archives: Day By Day, The Masonic Way: Disappointment

by Midnight Freemason Contributor

WB Adam Thayer

Brethren, as I look back over the pieces I’ve written in the past few years, I see many things I’m very proud of. There were a great many papers on various topics, full of emotion and passion, but what I’ve found missing is what I would consider “solid” education, that is, a practical application of the instructions we are taught in our three degrees. Over the next series of papers I write, I plan to address that issue. I hope to be able to provide some solid teachings, and learn something myself in the process!

Many minds far greater than my own have written examinations of the symbols that are presented, and I promise that if you spend the time pouring over their writings you will find it to be a rewarding and enriching pursuit. Instead of retreading the words of our forefathers, I hope to break new ground by discussing the issues that face our brothers today. I won’t even pretend to be doing this for entirely noble reasons; to a degree (if you’ll excuse the pun), this is my attempt to deal with these issues in my own life and, through that process, find peace for myself.

Tonight, the issue that is most heavy on my mind is that of disappointment. Disappointment comes in many forms; maybe you didn’t get the promotion you deserved, or your team ended their season with a 6-7 record (I’m looking at you Cornhuskers), or maybe your evening just didn’t go the way you had hoped it would. Disappointment is a common human condition, however to dismiss it so easily is to downplay how absolutely crushing the experience can be when it occurs.

At its core, disappointment comes from reality not living up to our expectations. Perhaps our expectations were set too high, perhaps we ignored the reality of our situation, or perhaps the world is a complex, sometimes cruel place where things don’t go the way they should. Whatever the real reason, disappointment taken to an extreme can lead to severe anxiety issues, with sufferers going out of their way to avoid any risk that may lead to disappointment.

King Solomon knew disappointment; even with all of his accomplishments he saw failure after crushing failure, leading him to say “I surveyed all that my hands had done and what I had toiled to achieve, everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind.” King Solomon definitely had a flair for the melodramatic, however I believe we can all identify with the sentiment: after all of our hard work and effort, when everything comes crashing down around us, what is the point of our labors?

When faced with disappointment, my mind first goes to thoughts of the mosaic pavement. Being the representative of human existence, it is necessarily equally checkered with both white and black tiles, which we are taught is emblematical of the good and evil in our lives. It could also be said to represent our victories and our defeats, our joys and our disappointments, which equal out in the long run of our lives.

A man much wiser (and significantly cheesier than I) once stated that walking the mosaic pavement is very hard on the feet. This is most especially true when we’re face to face with our disappointments.

There is an insidious danger in disappointment: often, we turn to our vices to help ease the pain. Solomon turned to both wine and women to make him forget the suffering crush of his disappointments, and it worked… for a while. However, he learned what we all must learn: the harder you try to escape reality, the more painful it is when it reasserts itself. After spending many drunken years amassing a fortune filled with every pleasure money could buy, he found himself more emotionally destitute than he began.

Truly dealing with our disappointments head-on takes courage, but it also takes a humble spirit. It begins with accepting what has happened, which many of us have a very difficult time with. It also takes time, something that I myself have an issue with; we want everything fixed right now, not at some magical later date. Finally, it takes a willingness to learn from the situation, to prepare us for future storms.

Here’s a little secret from me to you: life is full of disappointments. Rather than letting them destroy us, we have the opportunity to learn and grow from them. If the human life is an alchemical process, then disappointment is the process which transforms our rough ashlars into perfect ashlars.

I hope you can learn to channel your disappointments into your passion; for me, that passion is writing, and the large number of papers that have been posted since my first guest post nearly two years ago is a testament to the disappointments in my life. For one of my good friends, he pours his disappointment into music, and has constantly improved his talent to a near professional level. Whatever your passion is, I encourage you to pour all of your frustrations into it; let them fuel you as you strive to become ever greater.

I won’t leave you with a banal platitude like “when one door closes, another one opens” (in the words of Bill Murray, just open the door, that’s how doors work), but I will tell you that I have learned this: life is like a beautiful jigsaw puzzle. You can’t start to make sense of it until it has all fallen apart.

~AT

WB. Bro. Adam Thayer is the Senior Warden of Lancaster Lodge No. 54 in Lincoln (NE) and a past master of Oliver Lodge No. 38 in Seward (NE). He’s an active member in the Knights of Saint Andrew, and on occasion remembers to visit the Scottish and York Rites as well. He continues to be reappointed to the Grand Lodge of Nebraska Education Committee, and serves with fervency and zeal. He is a sub-host on The Whence Came You podcast, and may be reached at adam@wcypodcast.com. He will not help you get your whites whiter or your brights brighter, but he does enjoy conversing with brothers from around the world!

Childlike Wonder

by Midnight Freemason Contributor

Bro. Randy Sanders

Occasionally I find myself occasionally jaded or even burned out by disappointment.  This might be disappointment in others’ actions or maybe lack of actions I expected.  Sometimes I just get overextended and have to refocus on why I decided that sleep and health were more important than getting that last email or spreadsheet completed before bedtime.  This leads me to a sometimes rather negative perspective of questioning myself as to why the responsibility lies with me?  Why can’t others just simply do what’s expected of them?

Disappointment can be a downward spiral, and I am blessed to have had good role models and mentors that took time to demonstrate both responsibility and how to adjust our outlook when negative events occur.  I like to think of it as childlike wonder mixed with gratitude.  The childlike wonder comes and goes, and gratitude simply takes practice to change into habit.  Doing things for others simply because you see the need, being the responsible adult without asking for recognition, that is the lesson of building internal character. 

The wonder of the world through the new eyes of a child never ceases to be amazed.  Discovery of new things, learning something fun and making a game of it, finding ways to play, to create, to become whimsical may seem far away or not.  I remember my childhood playtime and reading time, not so much the individual events but more the general feelings of happiness and contentedness, simply escaping in my own mind with fantasies of driving fast with model cars or reading books until my eyes were filled with sleep.  I remember the feeling of internal happiness and pride I felt when I was recognized by my parents or friends as being helpful and appreciated.

We learn gratitude in many different ways.  We often learn of it in church reciting or listening to prayers of gratitude to Deity.  We learn to say please and thank you with intent and meaning, not just for polite society.  Gratitude extends inwardly with lessons of turning pride into gratitude as can be examined through the Masonic lessons of Charity/Love.  That in itself could be a paper or even a book topic for those studying psychology.  I learned the lesson of gratitude from a dear friend and mentor through of all things, just a simple passing comment.  He simply said, paraphrased, we need to remain grateful for all things, and that gratitude leads to love and wisdom.  

Wow!  That struck me like a lightning bolt.  Gratitude leads to love and wisdom.  The simplest of phrases, yet the impact was felt at my core as I realized the connection between my own humility, gratitude, and the paths that open with remaining humble.  I reflected in childlike wonder at that powerful message, and I still use gratitude and humility as a base for my meditations.  Am I worthy to even be writing this to you?  No, but maybe not for any expected reasons.  I can only open the veil into my own life or experiences and humbly offer my thoughts and expressions.  I can only do so with the hope, the childlike wonder, the gratitude felt, while connecting and maybe helping others on different places we share as we climb the mountain together.  My own honest reflection into my experience connects with some, connects with different people differently, and so will your own experiences connect with others.  I learn far more from reaction and interaction after I write these than what went into the writing.

Freemasonry teaches the lessons of humility, gratitude, love, and wisdom.  These lessons repeat in the degrees, lectures, and charges.  The opening and closing of the lodge reminds us of gratitude and focus on internal reflection, and we are repeatedly reminded that we are all on the way toward perfecting our ashlar, not that we have perfected it.  

We as Freemasons use the symbols and working tools for a mental focus toward perfection, and we must be vigilant that we don’t hold ourselves on any pedestal for others to emulate; we must keep our egos in check.  We must not fall into the trap of grandstanding our views to others while we still have much work to do internally.  That trap starts with: “Why am I having to do this?”

Take a moment to stop, look someone in the eye, and say please or thank you, or you’re welcome, with focus and intent.  Let’s break that down into actionable pieces.  Maybe we go through a door at a local business, and we hold the door open for the next person behind us.  Maybe we catch the door that was held by the person ahead.  Expressing gratitude takes no real effort, but maybe it changes someone’s day.  Maybe that person ahead of you or behind you is having a rough time, and simply taking a second to look them in the eye and thank them lifts their spirits.  Maybe you’re opening the car door for your wife.  It doesn’t matter if the other person even acknowledges your action because you don’t do it for their reaction.  Do it.  Say it.  Mean it.  Put focus behind it.  Walk the walk of gratitude, humility, and find ways to help others even through simple intent of please, thank you, and you are welcome.  Reflect upon your actions while never losing that childlike wonder of discovery.

~RS

Randy and his wife Elyana live near St. Louis, Missouri, USA. Randy earned a Bachelors Degree in Chemistry with an emphasis in Biochemistry, and he works in Telecom IT management. He volunteers as a professional and personal mentor, NRA certified Chief Range Safety Officer and enjoys competitive tactical pistol, rifle, and shotgun. He has 30 plus years teaching Wing Chun Kung Fu, Chi Kung, and healing arts. Randy served as a Logistics Section Chief on two different United States federal Disaster Medical Assistance Teams over a 12 year span. Randy is a 32nd degree KCCH and Knight Templar. His Masonic bio includes past Lodge Education Officer for two symbolic lodges, Founder of the Wentzville Lodge Book Club, member of the Grand Lodge of Missouri Education Committee, Sovereign Master of the E. F. Coonrod AMD Council No. 493, Co-Librarian of the Scottish Rite Valley of St. Louis, Clerk for the Academy of Reflection through the Valley of Guthrie, and a Facilitator for the Masonic Legacy Society. Randy is a founding administrator for Refracted Light, full contributor to Midnight Freemasons, and an international presenter on esoteric topics. Randy hosts an open ongoing weekly Masonic virtual Happy Hour on Friday evenings. Randy is an accomplished home chef, a certified barbecue judge, raises Great Pyrenees dogs, and enjoys travel and philosophy.

Hiram Struck Down

by Midnight Freemason Contributor

Robert H. Johnson

It was sometime in the evening when I received a text message with a link to a news article--a horrific car accident involving a Brother. When they told me who it was, my immediate response was, "Are you sure?" Almost in a weird panicky type of way. I felt confused. It was then confirmed by multiple fraternal sources that we had lost one of the most active Masons I'd ever known.

I first met Tim Uriah Thomason shortly after he was raised in 2016. He was a curious man. He was quiet and observant. I have half a dozen stories about Tim stunning us with his knowledge of various Masonic histories, facts, and interpretations of our teachings. We listened, and we learned. He was such an asset to the Masonic Fraternity, and not only to Illinois but to the Craft as a whole.

Many unique tributes and kind words were written about Tim in the last few weeks. One, in particular, caused me to contemplate after reading it...the words as I read them--pausing to think as I took them in and wiping my eyes. Tim was a special kind of Mason. He was one of those 3%ers. He was not just active at his home lodge, where he was the Current Worshipful Master at the time of his transition. He traveled all over the place. He was an honorary in a handful of Lodge's. He was an international member as well.

It took me a few days to write this because I just didn't feel like it was the right time. I suppose the time will never be right to type these kinds of things. I keep thinking that if Tim's transition affected me so strongly, someone who only spent occasional time with him, what do those closest to him feel? I can't imagine their pain and loss. Tim was only 36 years old. I feel like we lost an up-and-coming titan of Freemasonry. Tim already had legend status--It didn't matter where in the state something was happening...Tim might just walk in the door and be ready to get to work.

Tim's Masonic Service was a packed house. There was standing room only. Brothers of all ages, elbow to elbow, lined up to pay their respects to a Just and Upright Mason--Timothy Uriah Thomason. I looked around and thought, when we're old and pass on to the world to come, our peers come to gather and mourn our passing. Often times there aren't many people in attendance. I can't help but think this may be because the people we touched are also old, and many of them may have passed. Tim passed on so early in life--those people he touched are all still around, and it showed.

I don't know if anything I can say is better than what our Brother Ryan Flannagan posted. With Ryan's permission, I post his original words.

Your name badge said “Timothy U. Thomason Landmark Lodge #422”. You had just walked into a Stated Meeting in Springfield, something that members ten minutes away can’t be bothered to attend. And you drove from Joliet? I was skeptical, but you were a legit member. [I] figured I’d never see you again, but it wasn’t long before I realized there was no one in the state like you. While I rarely expected to see you, I learned never to be surprised to see you. So many events that were unforgettable in their own right, you were there. It was my good fortune, having met you that night in Springfield, that we’d frequently spend time together at these events, sometimes even hanging out afterwards despite you usually having a 2-3+ hour ride home. During the lockdown, you joined the Zoom calls a couple guys from [No.] 500 down here started. While everyone was trying to get a word in, crack a joke, or steer the conversation (most of the time me for all three), you’d just listen. When you did talk, everyone shut up because it was usually exactly what needed to be said. You were one of the guys that was supposed to come up with us, the guy we’d hear got appointed to some big position, the name we’d see on a list and say “Whatever else they’re doing, if they’re putting Tim in there, they’re doing something right.” You loved Masonry not just for what it could be, but for what it already was. You didn’t travel the State just for what you could get, but for what you could give. You sincerely enjoyed being with your brothers, and had a genuine love for the Fraternity unlike any Mason I’d ever met, and maybe ever will meet again. I woke up today to learn I’ll never see you again. I guess it’s one more Lodge you’ve visited before me. Until we meet again, dear friend and brother, until then, farewell. ~RW Bro. Ryan Flanagan

Thank you, Ryan, for articulating so well these sentiments.

~RHJ

RWB Johnson is a Co-Managing Editor of the Midnight Freemasons blog. He is a Freemason out of the 2nd N.E. District of Illinois. He currently serves as the Secretary of Spes Novum Lodge No. 1183. He is a Past Master of Waukegan Lodge 78 and a Past District Deputy Grand Master for the 1st N.E. District of Illinois. He is the current V:. Sovereign Grand Inspector for AMD in I.L. Brother Johnson currently produces and hosts weekly Podcasts (internet radio programs) Whence Came You? & Masonic Radio Theatre, which focuses on topics relating to Freemasonry. He is also a co-host of The Masonic Roundtable, a Masonic talk show. He is a husband and father of four, works full time in the executive medical industry. He is the co-author of "It's Business Time - Adapting a Corporate Path for Freemasonry," "The Master's Word: A Short Treatise on the Word, the Light, and the Self – Annotated Edition," and author of "How to Charter a Lodge: A No-Nonsense, Unsanctioned Guide. More books are on the way.

Clorox™ Masonry

by Midnight Freemason Contributor

Bro. Randy Sanders

I personally like to use a few different cleaners and disinfectants around the house. I like certain ones like Clorox™ Clean Up followed by a good rinse of water when disinfecting food prep surfaces. On flooring I might want to use something with a little less bleaching properties but still maintaining that strong disinfectant. Stainless steel cleaners on their own can leave a bit of an oily residue without another clean rinse of water afterward, and glass surfaces, you guessed it, need something that won’t etch the glass.

Freemasonry teaches targeted touch up cleaning in some areas where a good strong cleaner may be needed in others. We as Masons are admonished to whisper tenderly in a brother’s ear when we encounter perceived shortcomings, and that seems synonymous to me with a gentle wipe of a broad-spectrum cleaner. Why would we go deep dive into that brother’s business with a targeted intervention when we could simply offer a few words of coaching or even encouragement in getting past whatever situation we perceive as negative? We must remain cognizant that we do not walk in their shoes, we don’t experience the same situation as the brother, and we certainly don’t know what goes on within that brother’s life even when we are told by the brother. We simply weren’t there inside that brother’s head.

Yet I still see brothers all up in other brothers’ business. I witness brothers and their families talking about other brothers and their families like school children at recess. Why is that? Our own house is so solid that there are no more rough ashlars? We can go critique our brother while he’s doing the best he can? Or put another way, the coming down hard on a brother, tearing him a new orifice, as opposed to coaching and offering to assist in helping him in his time of need? There’s no reason to spray strong acid indiscriminately when a gently applied soft cloth removes the stain. Even if we open ourself to such critique, we should never speak badly about a brother behind his back with very few exceptions, and those based on absolute necessity.

We do need to speak about each other. We need to convey news to other Masons, and we need to keep our lines of communication open. We must maintain legitimate communication no matter what the circumstances. Maybe the easiest test to check the legitimacy of our words is to simply ask, did I say these same words to the brother in question? Did we say these exact same words to the brother before we say them to someone else? Another option, always available to Masons, is silence and leading by example. Communication should be the spreading of brotherly love, otherwise, silence is the Clorox™ Clean Up of Freemasonry.

~RS

Randy and his wife Elyana live near St. Louis, Missouri, USA. Randy earned a Bachelors Degree in Chemistry with an emphasis in Biochemistry, and he works in Telecom IT management. He volunteers as a professional and personal mentor, NRA certified Chief Range Safety Officer and enjoys competitive tactical pistol, rifle, and shotgun. He has 30 plus years teaching Wing Chun Kung Fu, Chi Kung, and healing arts. Randy served as a Logistics Section Chief on two different United States federal Disaster Medical Assistance Teams over a 12 year span. Randy is a 32nd degree KCCH and Knight Templar. His Masonic bio includes past Lodge Education Officer for two symbolic lodges, Founder of the Wentzville Lodge Book Club, member of the Grand Lodge of Missouri Education Committee, Sovereign Master of the E. F. Coonrod AMD Council No. 493, Co-Librarian of the Scottish Rite Valley of St. Louis, Clerk for the Academy of Reflection through the Valley of Guthrie, and a Facilitator for the Masonic Legacy Society. Randy is a founding administrator for Refracted Light, full contributor to Midnight Freemasons, and an international presenter on esoteric topics. Randy hosts an open ongoing weekly Masonic virtual Happy Hour on Friday evenings. Randy is an accomplished home chef, a certified barbecue judge, raises Great Pyrenees dogs, and enjoys travel and philosophy.

Sub Aspects To Our Archetypes

by Midnight Freemason Contributor

Bro. Randy Sanders

One of many types of guided meditations might include a conversation with a mythical person, an archetype, or possibly a conversation with yourself.  Certain orders have their members choose an archetype for an extended conversation that might last from just a few hours to a year.  Why is that?  Are we deluding ourselves into thinking we’re actually in contact with this person or thought pattern? Or is the exercise the point?  How that particular contemplative exercise works long-term is a bit out of scope for this article, but it is worth exploring on your own.

We use these thought patterns, or archetypes, as symbols in our meditation as a means to gain deeper insight into any given situation.  Consider an issue with jurisprudence within a lodge as an example.  Who better to meditate upon for wisdom in dealing with this than wise King Solomon?  You get the picture.  Many of us have already done this, some many times, some have taken the journey with an archetype for a much longer period, considering what that archetype’s response might be to any current event or situation.  North Carolina’s Middle Chamber education program takes this to a different level, and without giving away what I know of it, let’s say I’m looking forward to booking my flights when the Middle Chamber course is offered again.

Here’s an exercise to consider when you’ve passed the initial work of having that internal conversation with these archetypes.  It really is just a means of exploring ideas beyond your own initial thoughts or normal consciousness.  I would like you to consider sub-aspects to our archetypes. 

Let’s focus on Wisdom, Strength, and Beauty for the moment, although we can use any of our Masonic Archetypal references.  Within Wisdom lies both Strength and Beauty, within Strength lies Wisdom and Beauty, within Beauty lies Wisdom and Strength.  You see here two possible sub-aspects to each archetype to expand your contemplation.

When you meditate upon Wisdom, or possibly Sophia if you get my reference, then what are the aspects that Strength and Beauty bring to Wisdom?  When we meditate and focus on asking King Solomon a question about an issue within the lodge, we focus our thoughts and become more aware of any “response” from King Solomon as the wise course of action.  We may repeat that meditation a few times to fully explore the Wisdom associated with the situation.  Afterward, we might then approach the same question, or meditation, on what response or advice HKOT or H. Abiff might give King Solomon if they were to speak of such things in council.  The same applies when asking HKOT or H. Abiff a question, and considering how the conversation might play out from the other two characters, or archetypes.

Then again, maybe not.  It’s just an exercise in your own contemplation, in your own thinking.

~RS

Bro. Randy Sanders and his wife Elyana live near St. Louis, Missouri, USA. Randy earned a Bachelors Degree in Chemistry with an emphasis in Biochemistry, and he works in Telecom IT management. He volunteers as a professional and personal mentor, NRA certified Chief Range Safety Officer, and enjoys competitive tactical pistol, rifle, and shotgun. He has 30 plus years teaching Wing Chun Kung Fu, Chi Kung, and healing arts. Randy served as a Logistics Section Chief on two different United States federal Disaster Medical Assistance Teams over a 12-year span.

Randy is a 32nd-degree KCCH and Knight Templar.  His Masonic bio includes past Lodge Education Officer for two symbolic lodges, Founder of the Wentzville Lodge Book Club, member of the Grand Lodge of Missouri Education Committee, Sovereign Master of the E. F. Coonrod AMD Council No. 493, Co-Librarian of the Scottish Rite Valley of St. Louis, Clerk for the Academy of Reflection through the Valley of Guthrie, and a Facilitator for the Masonic Legacy Society.

Randy is a founding administrator for Refracted Light, a full contributor to Midnight Freemasons, and an international presenter on esoteric topics. Randy hosts an open ongoing weekly Masonic virtual Happy Hour on Friday evenings. Randy is an accomplished home chef, a certified barbecue judge, raises Great Pyrenees dogs, and enjoys travel and philosophy. 

This Is Not An Education Piece

by Midnight Freemason Emeritus

Adam Thayer, PM

My favorite piece of art… is that weird? Do normal people have favorite pieces of art? I hear about my friends talking about favorite movies, favorite songs, and even occasionally someone will mention a favorite book, but nobody seems to talk about art.

My favorite piece of art is an oil on canvas painted by the Belgian surrealist Rene Magritte. After working as a commercial artist for a number of years, he painted a picture of a large wooden pipe, and underneath wrote “Ceci n’est pas une pipe”, or literally “This is not a pipe”. To tie it all together, he titled the painting The Treachery Of Images, to remind us of the dangers that images can pose.

Years later, when he was questioned about the image, he replied firmly that what he wrote was correct; it was not a pipe, it was a representation of a pipe. You couldn’t put tobacco into it, you couldn’t light it, because it was only an image of a pipe. In fact, he went on to say “if I had written on my picture ‘This is a pipe’ I’d have been lying!”

As a writer, it reminds me of Alfred Korzybski stating “The map is not the territory - the word is not the thing”. It’s a constant reminder that words, no matter how beautifully written, are still just representations of the actual thing. I could spend paragraphs detailing Magritte’s beautiful pipe – which is, I remind you, not a pipe – the fantastic shine of the bowl and stem, the glow of it against the golden background, the thin, almost fragile lettering underneath, and yet that description is still a pale comparison to seeing the actual picture in person.

I imagine many of us feel that way about our degrees; I can tell you about the nerves I experienced leading up to it, the scent of the room, the feeling when I was first brought to light… but none of this can live up to having been there, in that room, in my skin. Yet, in the act of describing it, I remember that night ten years ago, as if I was still there.

Neither can I put the sound of a brother’s voice in your head the way I hear it, clear as day, whenever I get up to give what I still consider to be “his” lecture. The best I can give is a representation of it, kind, loving, yet firm in his demand that I never let that lecture be read from the book or be performed without feeling.

Our symbols are like that too; while you may have some of the symbols as physical representations (doesn’t every lodge have a square and compass?), they are still just that – representations. The compass in our lodges, for instance, is generally not a compass one could actually use to circumscribe a true circle. What’s more, I’ve yet to find a lodge with an actual beehive, although I do think selling Masonic Honey sounds much more interesting than flipping pancakes.

The Treachery Of Images is a fantastic reminder of the place our symbols belong in Masonry – as mental placeholders for complex teachings and morality instruction. The symbols themselves only contain the meanings we put into them, and as such should not be deified in and of themselves.

Of course, the phrase “The word is not the thing” should bring a special meaning to the Master Mason, which I will point out for those who are inclined to ponder without expounding the substitution principle to the uninitiated.

So Adam, I hear you thinking, what’s your point? Has all of this been a rambling opportunity for you to have an excuse to write about your favorite piece of art? Yes, obviously. Perhaps I should have titled this “The Treachery Of Education” and include the disclaimer “Ce n’est pas une conference educative”.

Perhaps I could trick you into reading paragraph upon paragraph, expecting to find some hidden nugget of wisdom that I subtly snuck in but that you are starting to doubt is in there. Perhaps I already have.

Perhaps the point of all Masonic Education really shouldn’t be to teach necessarily, but to encourage you to think and discover meaning for yourself. Then again, to paraphrase Magritte, this is not a Masonic Education piece. Unless, of course, it was.

~Adam Thayer

Journey of a Stone

by Midnight Freemason Contributor

Ken JP Stuczynski

Over the years I've explained the journey of consciousness and sentience using the water cycle. We were created (evaporated) from the ocean of Universal Consciousness, live an individuated existence (as vapor and rain), and eventually, through Enlightenment, stream back to the Source. This is described variously in all the mystical traditions of humanity, theistically and non-theistically, from St. John of the Cross's Union with God to D. T. Suzuki's works regarding Satori. But all fingers point to the same moon. What finger does Freemasonry provide?

How do we, as a Living Stone, start our journey? We first became an individuated object when we were cut in the Quarry, where all stone is one united (universal) mass. In Masonry, our journey begins with a recognition of this separation in the form of duty to God. We cannot know Deity until we suffer the realizations of our separateness, after all.

The Lewis is one of the symbols associated with our Frist Degree, clearly visible on the tracing boards of old, but absent from our ritual, at least those versions I am familiar with. Operatively, the lewis is a tool by which a stone is grasped and lifted. At this point, it is clearly no longer within the bosom of Mother Earth, but ready to be worked upon.

In some jurisdictions, there is a "Lewis Jewel" that serves the purpose of recognizing a Brother whose son or father was a Mason (sometimes with allowance extended to grandparents, fathers-in-law, etc.). These jewels may even have multiple bars of names, signifying a line of many generations of Masons. The longest I have seen is six, tracing from well over a hundred years ago to a young gentleman at a neighboring Lodge. Such is the nature of humankind, ever lifting up new generations, yet each stone unique and in need of its own perfections.

The various tools we encounter on our path are all applied either to the drafting of the Stone's purpose or its shaping. The entire work of Masonry is to learn how to shape, and work to fit, each of our stones. What are we fitting it for? The Temple the Lodge is at least twofold in its representation. The first is an edifice brought together by many men, allegorically — the Lodge as a collective body. The second is the building of our personal existence, not just as the refining of an eternal soul, but a record of words and deeds that we shall leave behind.

The former is social; the latter is personal. And work on ourselves as both an Ashlar for its own perfection is intimately connected with how our stone fits into a bulwark of a band of Men and human society overall. We live an often conflicting dichotomy as individuals and as a member of something greater. This is because, as we are separate beings and yet cannot exist outside of Deity, the stone that once had no independent shape is now moved to and around the worksite, searching for its place within the plans of the Grand Architect.

How it fits (or doesn't fit) is a discussion that could never be exhausted, though we shall endeavor that another time. But the point here is that the ultimate goal is to be united in one mass, one existence. This is how we are, even in temporal form, a citizen of two worlds — one of solitary birth and death, and one of Oneness with what during our life can be no more than the "Divine Other".

The cement of Brotherly Love, unlike the mortar of the World that wears and decays, sets our interdependent fates into an intricate framework of time and space. The final result is beyond our human comprehension. However, each of us partakes fully upon the reality of the whole on a higher plane.

The journey ends where it began, to our Eternal Home from whence our eternal soul originally came, adding our journey's experiences to the limitless, yet united, divine existence.

~JP

Bro. Ken JP Stuczynski is a member of West Seneca Lodge No.1111 and recently served as Master of Ken-Ton Lodge No.1186. As webmaster for NYMasons.Org he is on the Communications and Technology Committees for the Grand Lodge of the State of New York. He is also a Royal Arch Mason and 32nd Degree Scottish Rite Mason, serving his second term as Sovereign Prince of Palmoni Council in the Valley of Buffalo, NMJ. He also coordinates a Downtown Square Club monthly lunch in Buffalo, NY. He and his wife served as Patron and Matron of Pond Chapter No.853 Order of the Eastern Star and considered himself a “Masonic Feminist”.

In Which All Men Agree

by Midnight Freemason Contributor

Bro. Ken JP Stuczynski

I had a lot of questions before I was willing to petition a Lodge. For me, it was never about wearing a grandfather’s ring or a specific charity project. I wanted to know how my association with the Craft would affect my moral reputation, and more importantly, how it would impact my conscience. The selling point for me was that I could be around people who were diverse in belief but shared my values.

Think about that.

As an interfaith minister and citizen of the world, I appreciate (rather than just tolerate) other beliefs. As someone educated in the Humanities, I accept that there is more than one way of looking at things, be it economics or politics or human nature. But I expect certain truths to be universally understood, even if the application of them may take forms that may pit us against one another. Masonry teaches us to Love one another in spite of our spirited debates and disparate votes.

The more I become aware of Masonic experiences across my jurisdiction and the world, the more I see a diversity of expressions of Masonic principles. However, I am also seeing a diversity of values, some of which are incompatible with what I would suggest are taught in our lessons. Contemplating the inconsistent amity regarding Prince Hall Masons, for example, exposes two centuries of fundamental duplicity. By continued support or silent complicity of segregated recognition, we clearly do not practice what we preach. But it’s more than institutionally systemic. It’s personal.

In the last year, it has become painfully obvious that political divisions have crept into the Craft. Or that’s what we think is happening. I suggest it’s much, much worse: basic values, rather than just specific beliefs, have become politicized. It is not that we are bringing politics into the Craft, but that people are bringing politics into the very discussion of our VALUES. Partisan lines have been drawn, even if only in stereotype, as to which human beings are worthy of our help and which deserve our fear. Justice has become a charged buzzword, Liberty a hollow platitude, Equality a battleground. These words have taken on political meanings that have nothing to do with the Morality on which all reasonable, good and decent people can agree.

There was even one Brother on Facebook who expressed how angered he became upon seeing a “Be Kind” bumper sticker. How bad have things gotten to where we use terms like “virtue signaling” to dismiss or even ridicule today’s version of “Love thy neighbor”? People don’t like being told that what they are doing (or not doing) is inconsiderate or selfish. We may be reminded of our obligations by some stranger and it infuriates us. (Mind you, such things may be worth civilly debating if there is an ethical rebuttal to be had. But such conversations are almost immediately framed by the actions or opinions of politicians, who, frankly, were not invited to the conversation.)

We may be wrestling over things like “political correctness” and “identity politics”, but the underlying values they deal with (however poorly or disingenuously) should not be held in question. Many of us use a dislike of certain people demanding civic duty and respect as an excuse to not be a good person. Instead, we defiantly base our patriotism on personal sovereignty without obligations. We put party identities over the country we claim to love. With so much ritual touching upon the subject of good citizenship, we must wonder if Brothers with this attitude have taken the same Degrees as the rest of us.

But don’t get me wrong. Masons aren’t perfect. So what makes us Masons? It’s not that we aren’t ever prejudiced or selfish, but that we try not to be. It’s not that we don’t sometimes ignore the needs of our fellow Man, or lack tolerance toward them, but that we aspire to do so as we are able. Seeking to be better ought to be considered an unwritten, yet non-negotiable Landmark of Masonry.

If we can at least agree on that, how many of us live up to it? Brother Franklin had his detailed plan to focus on a different virtue each week, yet after years of rotations had not become a Perfect Ashlar. But he made an honest, conscious effort to live a truly virtuous life nonetheless. How many Workmen actually do this most important of Masonic Work in some way, big or small? And if we are failing to do even this, do we accept whispered wise counsel and be awakened from our moral slumber? I would never ask more of a fellow Brother.

But there are those who are petulantly stubborn in their righteousness or simply do not care. Those latter stones may not ever be of suitable material, and yet some Lodge did a disservice to us all by admitting them to our quarries. At least from my experience, we are getting better at guarding the West Gate. Gone are the days when petitions were handed out like brochures to a carnival.

But we still find ourselves with a necessary purging of our Lodges. By that, I don’t mean merely to forbid prejudices, incivilities, or other Unmasonic conduct when and where we find it. I mean the Lodge within ourselves. What Masonic values have we rebelled against in the name of politics? Can we find a way to live up to our obligations without becoming untrue to our particular beliefs, political or otherwise? And if one has to go – a political belief or a principled value – we must decide which to divest ourselves of. Such choices will prove our true worth as good Men and Masons.

~JP

Bro. Ken JP Stuczynski is a member of West Seneca Lodge No.1111 and recently served as Master of Ken-Ton Lodge No.1186. As webmaster for NYMasons.Org he is on the Communications and Technology Committees for the Grand Lodge of the State of New York. He is also a Royal Arch Mason and 32nd Degree Scottish Rite Mason, serving his second term as Sovereign Prince of Palmoni Council in the Valley of Buffalo, NMJ. He also coordinates a Downtown Square Club monthly lunch in Buffalo, NY. He and his wife served as Patron and Matron of Pond Chapter No.853 Order of the Eastern Star and considered himself a “Masonic Feminist”.