{"id":2621,"date":"2016-04-10T18:39:18","date_gmt":"2016-04-11T01:39:18","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/theeduca.mywhc.ca\/?p=2621"},"modified":"2016-04-10T18:39:18","modified_gmt":"2016-04-11T01:39:18","slug":"you-called-me-brother","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ashlarcollege.ca\/ashlar-archived\/you-called-me-brother\/","title":{"rendered":"You Called me Brother!!"},"content":{"rendered":"

You Called me Brother!<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n

Shared with me by R.W. Bro. Wayne Anderson<\/u><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/strong>The Craft is a society with secrets, but until recently, the public at large thought it was a secret society.<\/p>\n

The secrets must and will continue to be guarded, but a general understanding of what Masonry stands for and does is now becoming available to the ordinary citizen.<\/p>\n

As a result, some of the old myths will be exploited, respect for our aims and activities will increase, and our numbers may grow \u2013 not because numbers as such matter, but because every additional citizen who joins and commits himself to a notable ethical movement brings added strength to society.<\/p>\n

The point is stressed by the Scriptural passage that deals with God\u2019s command to take a census of the Israelites. But not by means of counting heads. No! Everyone who wished to be counted had to contribute half a shekel, and it was the half-shekels that were counted. The lesson? That one should be impressed, not so much by mere numbers as by whether an individual was willing to make a worthwhile contribution.<\/p>\n

What then is the worthwhile contribution that one makes as a Mason?<\/p>\n

To me it is suggested by a story told by a Russian writer. He relates that a man is walking along and is accosted by another who asks him for alms. \u201cI\u2019m sorry, brother,\u201d is the reply, \u201cI have nothing and cannot help you\u201d. \u201cDon\u2019t worry,\u201d says the beggar, \u201cyou called me \u2018brother\u2019, and that\u2019s enough!\u201d<\/p>\n

This is the first thing that Masons learn to do, to call each other \u201cbrother\u201d. They meet in fellowship. They commence work in harmony and conclude in peace. They have their honest differences but respect each other the more highly for them. They see each other\u2019s virtues and with good humour tolerate each other\u2019s faults. Wherever they go, their unspoken motto echoes the words of Joseph, Et achai anochi mevakesh \u2013 \u201cI go seeking my brethren\u201d (Gen. 37:16). They know one can depend upon a brother.<\/p>\n

They are not angels \u2013 far from it \u2013 and at times their brotherliness is found wanting, but never will they let themselves forget that it is goodly and pleasant to have a brother and to dwell in harmony. But more than this, even greater and far more momentous, they know that each fellow man is also a brother, and that to each fellow man one must be able to say,<\/p>\n

\u201cBrother, I acknowledge you.<\/p>\n

Brother, I trust you.<\/p>\n

Brother, you can rely on me.<\/p>\n

Brother, I honour your dignity.<\/p>\n

Brother, I respect your opinion.<\/p>\n

Brother, I rejoice in your success.<\/p>\n

Brother, I am happy at your happiness.<\/p>\n

Brother, I feel your pain.<\/p>\n

Brother, I understand your need.<\/p>\n

Brother, I support your hand.<\/p>\n

Brother, the world needs you.<\/p>\n

Brother, I need you.<\/p>\n

Brother, even if I have nothing to give you, I call you \u2018brother\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n

Someone has described this as the age of the unbrotherhood of man, and it is little wonder. There appears to be an epidemic of immorality wherever you turn. Injustice, exploitation, self-seeking, arrogance, callousness, corruption, victimization, viciousness, violence \u2013 no wonder the poet wrote, \u201cA mighty wave of evil is passing over the world.\u201d<\/p>\n

There is an old allegory in the Talmud (Gen. R. 8:5, etc.). It tells that before creating man, God called the angels together and asked their opinion on what He had in mind. \u201cShall I create man?\u201d He asked them.<\/p>\n

\u201cCreate him not!\u201d said the angel of Justice. \u201cHe will be unjust towards his brother man; he will injure the weak and exploit the vulnerable!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cCreate him not!\u201d said the angel of Peace, \u201cHe will stain the earth with the blood of his brothers; he will spread mischief and discord wherever he goes!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cCreate him not!\u201d said the angel of Truth, \u201cThough You create him in Your image and stamp the impress of truth on his brow, yet will be desecrate Your creation with falsehood and dishonesty!\u201d<\/p>\n

They would have said still more, but Mercy, the youngest and dearest of them all, stepped up to the Divine Throne and said, \u201cFather, create him! Make him in Your image, as the crowning glory of Creation. When others forsake him, I will be with him. I will touch his heart with pity and make him kind to others weaker than himself.<\/p>\n

When he goes astray, turning from the ways of justice, peace and truth, I will gently direct him back again to the upright path, and he will be a brother again to his fellow man!\u201d<\/p>\n

The Father of Mercy, relates the tradition, listened to the voice of Mercy, and with Mercy\u2019s support He created man.<\/p>\n

Might one not be right in suspecting that there were times, possibly quite frequently, when the Almighty was tempted to regret His decision?<\/p>\n

When Justice was slighted, and the other fellow did not get a fair go; when people gave in to blackmail and bribery; when you were decent to others, provided they belonged to your side, but the rights of others could be trampled on with impunity. When Peace was brushed aside, and even when there was no outright war there was no concern for each other, no understanding of each other, no goodwill and generosity of thought and deed.<\/p>\n

When Truth was disdained, and the world grew full of broken promises, ambiguous half-truths and hypocritical double-talk.<\/p>\n

And yet the angel of Mercy suggested there was a fundamental decency in human beings which would, with her help, at last rouse itself. And this is where the Masonic Craft has a crucial contribution to make. By learning to call each other \u201cbrother\u201d, by learning to recognise a brother in every fellow man, Masonry will by attitudes and acts, help to build up the moral fibre of mankind.<\/p>\n

Leo Baeck, a saint, scholar and sage, was imprisoned by the Nazis in Theresienstadt. He refused to compromise his dignity or become demoralized. He said on his release, \u201cSome of us were determined to demonstrate that the goodness in man can be victorious over brutality and bestiality\u201d.<\/p>\n

If we are going to use this impressive service in the midst of this vast assembly as a spur and inspiration to anything, let it be our resolution that we renew our pledge to learn to call each other \u201cbrother\u201d and thus to stand at all times, and wherever we may be, for the goodness in man.<\/p>\n

If we are going to allow the eventful experiences of these Masonic gatherings to leave a permanent impress, let it be our determination that Masonry in Frontenac District will find fresh energy to be benevolent in the old ways, and new vigor to seek and adopt new ways to be of service to each other and to our society.<\/p>\n

And may the Great Architect of the Universe, whose favors we acknowledge in reverence and humility, continue to preserve the Masonic Order, by cementing and adorning it with every moral and social virtue.<\/p>\n

BE PROUD OF WHO YOU ARE<\/p>\n

BE PROUD OF WHAT YOU DO AND<\/p>\n

BE PROUD TO BE A MASON.<\/p>\n

Comment<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n

The author of this paper, whoever he may be, deserves our sincere thanks for expressing his feelings in such a wonderful manner.<\/p>\n

It is truly a lesson to us all & having read and ingested the message we MUST simply do better!!<\/p>\n

Have a wonderful Day & God Bless<\/p>\n

Norm<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

You Called me Brother! Shared with me by R.W. Bro. Wayne Anderson \u00a0The Craft is a society with secrets, but until recently, the public at large thought it was a…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":76,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[56],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2621","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-the-educator"],"rttpg_featured_image_url":null,"rttpg_author":{"display_name":"MasterMason","author_link":"https:\/\/ashlarcollege.ca\/ashlar-archived\/author\/mastermason\/"},"rttpg_comment":0,"rttpg_category":"The Educator<\/a>","rttpg_excerpt":"You Called me Brother! Shared with me by R.W. Bro. Wayne Anderson \u00a0The Craft is a society with secrets, but until recently, the public at large thought it was a…","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ashlarcollege.ca\/ashlar-archived\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2621","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ashlarcollege.ca\/ashlar-archived\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ashlarcollege.ca\/ashlar-archived\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ashlarcollege.ca\/ashlar-archived\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/76"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ashlarcollege.ca\/ashlar-archived\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2621"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/ashlarcollege.ca\/ashlar-archived\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2621\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ashlarcollege.ca\/ashlar-archived\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2621"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ashlarcollege.ca\/ashlar-archived\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2621"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ashlarcollege.ca\/ashlar-archived\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2621"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}