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aedifico42| Our Masonic Duty…

Posted at: 10:21 am

There is a movement afoot in this country.  You see it everywhere. 

From HBO’s recent program about John Adams to the resurgence of “Enlightenment” ideas creeping into the mainstream lexicon.  People are starting to devalue the over-inflated goodness of our ‘Ashton Kutcher - Paris Hilton’ culture, our worship of ‘Celebutantes’, the legitimation of idiots, liars and cheats and, more importantly this nation’s obsession with non-issues in the political arena (like word pronunciation and lapel-pins). 

We are slowly recognizing the un-important status of the un-important.  Let me be clear, this is by no means an attack on entertainers, illiterates or our desire for distraction and entertainment.  Quite the contrary, when I speak to the Kutcher-Hilton’ culture here, or any other facet of our lives which undervalue learning, I am addressing the attitude promoted by our society…the attitude that smart people are un-American.

This attitude prevaded our society for some time, and is beginning to give-way to a more sophisticated and intelligent approach to many conversations.  I don’t know where the tide turned…was it Brittney Spears’ little sister getting pregnant?  Was it Lindsay Lohan and her run-in(s) with the law?  Perhaps too many lies and cover-ups in a government led by a man with a Texas(ish) drawal…who knows?  None is particularly responsible (and no particular political party is beyond reproach), but something had to give…

And now here we stand…at the beginning of a new phase in American society.  An age where, reasoned judgement tells us, intelligence and experience will be valued.  We are on the verge of getting our Nation and our Culture back on the right track.  But as it took us a couple of generations to get off course, it will take some doing to get us back again.

That’s where Freemasonry is uniquely qualified to move us in the right direction.  We are the progeny of the Enlightenment…we are the inheritors of the mantle of Franklin, Frederik and Voltiare.  We have the tradition and the framework to promote the civil and mature society that we all want to live in. 

What we as Masons need to do is to prepare ourselves.  We must be ready to respond correctly and intelligently to inquiries about philosophy and history…about esoterica and government…about organization and the role of Freemasonry in a free society. 

In short…we must get smarter.

To that end, we must challenge each other and our brothers to read, study, debate and meditate.  We must become deep thinkers and men who know how the systems of our lives work.  By systems, I include the infrastructure of our communities on physical and legal and other levels.  We must become the resource for our communities.  People must recognize that they can come to us for answers to their questions.

None of this involves bake sales or fish frys.  It is not about saving children from the mean streets or making ourselves feel warm and fuzzy because we decorated the home of some indigent family.  No.  This is about the real gold that we seek in our alchemical journey, namely; knowledge.

Only when we soberly attack the ignorance which has overcome our own fraternity will we be able to share the true light that Freemasonry has to offer this and all other Nations of the world. 

It is our duty and our destiny…are we up to the task?

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