A Man among People
by Sabin Nemeº Bota
DELTA Lodge, no. 87, Baia Mare
Dear Brethren,
Since it is customary that an architecture paper bear a title, perhaps to give more weight to the words I HAVE SPOKEN, which Freemasons use to end their allocutions, I chose this title: A MAN AMONG PEOPLE. I said among people because we are Freemasons, amid people would be used only in everyday life.
Until now, all my works have been mere parables and metaphors that stemmed from the role and place of words in a Freemason's life, but this will be the first time when I give up skillful words, nevertheless with the same respect for you, my brethren.
TAKE A GOOD MAN AND MAKE HIM BETTER is in fact the declaration of principles of Freemasonry, its very purpose. As you have probably noticed, there are two verbs in the statement above: TAKE and MAKE but no stated subject. WHO takes the good man, and WHO makes him better? We take ourselves and we make ourselves better, respectable brothers, because the work, even if in a group, remains essentially individual, intimate, based on honest and constant introspection, on critical self-evaluation, any kind of comparison done by ordinary criteria is useless among brethren since here, in our Lodge we are, or at least we should be, only true Freemasons.
What do I mean?
A retrospective look on the history of mankind, even before Anderson, allows even the unknowing to notice that beyond the struggle for power, influence and money, there has always been a permanent search for THE PROVIDENTIAL MAN, the generator of solutions, the leader, the savior... Each era has had its own expectations, but passing over the years, these providential people were sought after because the society had, has and will always have need of MODELS. Nowadays, this lack of credible role models is, in my opinion, the expression of a major moral crisis, which leads to destructive effects through the extreme polarization of options in the absence of a commonly-shared scale of values. We all know that Freemasonry is not, luckily, the sum of Freemasons, but a set of immutable values which offer those who understand, accept and especially practice them, the chance to fulfill their role in life and, probably, to leave a consistent and bright mark for those to come.
What do I mean?
In this crisis of role models, Freemasonry was and is called upon to show its majesty, stability and justice of actions. I would not like to bring up the history of the great Freemasons who shaped the world because it is probably well-known to you, I would like to talk about the present, about here, about us. To be a mason implies a whole way of life, a certain posture, a certain way of communication. We cannot leave Freemasonry at the door of the temple to throw ourselves in the tumult of mundane temptations after we turn off the lights and take off our aprons. The landmarks are not our commands, because we were not been brought by force to the temple, rather we have knocked at its door, free, asking for light. These landmarks are un-extinguishable flames that light our way on the journey of becoming, because the mason has no need to take another's field, but he is expected to sow the seed in his own land: the mason is not allowed to bring in the temple the weaknesses and the profane vices which spoil perfection.
What do I mean?
Are we role models in our communities, respectable brothers? If we lined up, without insignia on our lapels, in front of some profane strangers who would see our eyes, hear our words and judge our actions, how many of us would even be suspected of being Freemasons? Freemasons are not allowed to fight for power, but are asked, sooner or later, to assume it when it is obvious that they represent the best or even the only solution, and this without it being known that they are Freemasons, but only due to the fact that they proved maturity in thought and action, coherent and consistent discourse, wisdom, and justice in judgment, tolerance without weakness, tenacity, and force, beauty ...Does this sound familiar, respectable brothers, or is it mere coincidence that these are the columns which sustain our temple? We should not seek inspiration and power outside the lodge but keep an open mind and heart, to assume free-willingly the status of eternal apprentices because the work of self-construction and self-polishing never ends. And don't forget that our true power has to be sublimated by brotherhood, bathed in light and liberated from the temptation of metals. Everything I do, even in my profane life, is reflected also on you, respectable brothers, whether it's good, less good, or even bad. This should make me even more responsible because I am not alone if I have you by my side for better or for worse, as sons of the widow.
What do I mean?
In Freemasonry we are not playing "Jeopardy", brethren. If you have better knowledge of the rituals, numerology, Kabala or anything else, if you have more and better sheep I will not feel poorer, more stupid or more humble. We are not identical, but we are equal in front of The Great Architect, and in the lodge, everything that relates to everyday life has absolutely no relevance to me. We know how we have evolved during the years and how many thing we have done together. We have no reasons to stop. The way is the one we have chosen by our own will to follow. There is no place for improvising and innovation, there's no need to invent a new way because it is just and perfect. I tell you again that we can leave a trace of our work or we can simply lose our way, like others who could not see the true light. We still confront ourselves with difficult times of searching for our identities, with moments which are sometimes shadowed by the undeserved and unwanted profane dishonor. We must be wise, we must be brethren when it is demanded but also when it is not. Let's respect everyone else without biasing, let's grant them the presumption of wisdom but let them feel that we are on their side without imposing at any rate our own opinion even if we are convinced that we are right. We must be a landmark of stability, wisdom and decency. Do all these sound familiar to you, respectable brethren? "Know yourself, love your fellow, help him, respecting his dignity" or do you consider a simple coincidence the fact that this is the golden rule of Freemasonry?
What do I mean?
The greatest source of problems is the way we relate to each other, respectable brothers, more exactly the words we use, the way we combine them, the tone on which we utter them, the place in which we say them, who we address them to and especially what we hide behind them. Silence does not mean lack of words or ideas because language is not the only way in which we communicate. Look at the eyes, the position of the body, the movements of the hands because they all say a lot. This should be a lot easier, in our case, because we have nothing to hide, isn't it, since we are brethren and we all know our place in the temple. We like too much the idea that modern Freemasonry is speculative, forgetting, quite often, to relive trough the symbolism of the ritual, the operative beginnings, the hard work done together, the shared food, the happiness and the troubles went through together in the clouds of limestone dust because those moments have created what we are offered today, what we have been looking for.
What do I mean?
I demand you to be more sensible and to remember the fact that we are all our greatest enemies. We can make something of our small community, we can become those role models that are so much needed. And I also urge you never to forget the killing power of the word. Ponder before choosing the best one and say it only one time, thinking about whom and when you address it to. Polish your words but turn them into tools and not weapons or traps. Do not fight with windmills but with yourselves, the way I do. Be merciless with your weaknesses after admitting to them.
Nobody asks us to be perfect or supermen, because the only perfection is in The Great Architect of the Universe. Let's be better for ourselves and for the ones around us, without ostentation and without the vain desire of being appraised. And who has eyes to see, heart to feel and mind to understand, will say: THERE IS A
MAN AMONG PEOPLE!
I have asked myself six times and now the seventh time.
I have spoken!
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