Indianola Lodge #450
Brethren,
I trust that you enjoyed a safe and healthy Independence Day. Even in times of tribulation in our nation’s history, we can still see evidence that our Great Experiment in democracy is alive. We may not agree with the violent and destructive path that some protests have taken, but our freedoms and liberties allow for those voices to be heard. Other despotic rulers would have likely crushed similar protests with ruthless efficiency.
Although we may not meet as a body during this time of pandemic, let us take time to practice Masonry outside of the Lodge. Call on the members of the Lodge, both active and inactive. If there are any needs that can be met, make the Lodge officers aware of them.
We can also practice Masonry in our daily activities, should we be out in public. Our nation is in turmoil, but as individuals we can spread light. Dr. Martin Luther King said “Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that.” Remember from whence we as Masons derive Light, that Great Light – that rule & guide of our faith – and spread light to those you encounter. A smile, a door held open, a pleasant greeting or “thank you” to our fellow man will help illuminate their path as well as our own.
Paraphrasing a story I read recently: A father was babysitting his son, but the father had work to be done while the son wished to play. Seeking to placate the son for a period, the father found in a magazine a world map. He took that map, cut it into many pieces and told the son to put it back together, and when it was complete they could play. It did not take the son long to complete the task, to the father’s surprise, knowing the son did not yet know how the continents were arranged. The father asked how he’d done it. The son replied that it was simple: on the back of the map photo was a photo of a man. The son put the man together right, and then the world was right.
Masonry in action is putting the man together right. We may not be able to put the whole world together correctly, but by influencing one man at a time, we can change it.
Jim Whitfield, Worshipful Master
Indianola Lodge #450
