Brethren, my name is B.C. Hammond and I am the J؞W؞ for Indianola #450. The working tools of a Fellowcraft are the Plumb, Square, and Level. My W؞M؞ Jim Whitfield requested I give a brief lecture on the practical application of the Moral lessons found in the Plumb.
The first thing my mind was drawn to was the song that was sung while I was being conducted to my station upon installation. Which is as follows:
O Warden, with the PLUMB upraised,
What doth the emblem teach?
Do all the Craft uprightly walk,
And practice what they preach?
O Warden, where the faithful one
Observed the glorious sun,
Like him adorned with BEAUTY still,
The work by him begun.
Brothers we have all obligated ourselves freely and voluntarily to the Holy Bible as our rule and guide. From it comes Amos 7:7,8, where it is written:
“Thus he shewed me: and, behold, the LORD stood upon a wall made by a plumb line, with a plumb line in hand. And the LORD said unto me, Amos, what seest thou? And I said, A plumb line. Then said the LORD, Behold, I will set a plumb line in the midst of my people ISRAEL: I will not pass by them anymore.”
Amos 7:7-8
The Plumb is an instrument, made use by operative masons to raise perpendiculars and Masonically it should warn us to walk uprightly in reverence of our Almighty Creator, GOD.
The charge of the J؞W؞ states:
The Plumb admonishes us to walk uprightly in our several stations:
to hold the scales of justice in equal poise;
to observe the just medium between intemperance and pleasure;
and to make our passions and prejudices coincide with the line of our duty.
When I refer back to OUR rule and guide, the primary duties gleaned from it are three:
- Love thy LORD thy GOD with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.
- Love thy neighbor as thy self
- Recognize and accept Jesus Christ as your personal savior.
These are MY PLUMB line.
“I will make justice the measuring line and righteousness the plumb line; hail will sweep away your refuge, the lie, and water will overflow your hiding place.”
ISAIAH 28:17
As for a practical application of a PLUMB, I would like to advance the notion of righteousness as a Plumb line. If we do not have righteousness as a plumb line then the just becomes that which is merely legal and that which is legal becomes just. We should be reminded that everything Hitler did was legal and I believe we can agree it most certainly was not righteous. Can we, therefore, agree that there are two types of laws; just and unjust? We have not only, a legal but a moral duty to obey all just laws. However, I would advance that we have a moral responsibility to disobey unjust laws. It was St. Augustine that stated ‘an unjust law is no law at all’ or Lex iniusta non est lex.
What I can assure you all is GOD will judge us accordingly. The process of this judgment will sweep away:
- The deceptions that we have allowed ourselves to believe; and,
- The hidden secrets sins that we have allowed to continue.
We need to apply the Plumb line to ourselves brethren.
The life of those walking in the light will be open and transparent having nothing to conceal and never pretend to be something we are not.
The good man is one who meditates on Truth, Love, and Beauty specifically towards his fellow man. Brotherly love dictates we desire to alleviate suffering and mitigate wrongs and that we consciously look for ways to benefit others.
In conclusion, Brethren, it is not my job to judge you. That is for GOD alone. My job is to explain to you the measure or standard by which we all WILL be judged.
Fraternally,
B.C. Hammond, Junior Warden
Indianola #450
