Three Burning Tapers

Take a moment during your next Lodge meeting and look around YOUR
Lodge room. Try to avoid the hardened stare from the Past Masters but take
heed at the attendance of your Brothers. You are living in a
historical moment. The noted minutes reflect your physical presence
and forever mark that YOU were HERE, and possibly in years to come
your grandsons may read about you sitting here tonight. While yes,
this point is obvious and seemingly unimportant, but consider the
following: You made time to be present in this Lodge.

Time is our most precious resource and is far too often wasted for vain and various reasons all too quickly forgotten. This meeting was important enough
for you to set aside a myriad of “I don’t have time because…” and the
scarcity of time should return to your field of view. Notice how older
members tend to do nearly everything more slowly. For some, this may
be physical restriction, but for others it is a fight against the
ticking clock to absorb every moment and handshake for many of these
brothers go home alone, left in solitude until the next meeting.

Consider the experiences not only seen but experienced by these
Brothers, and if a willing heart is present, glean from their banked
knowledge to apply in your own life. Brothers have tread on these
hallowed grounds for years and sat in the same place as you are right
now. It is as if we have met these many nights in a museum open only
to a select few. This building, our Ritual work, and the foundations
from which we construct an edifice of peace and harmony is ancient and
archaic. We, as a Brotherhood, have been accused of living in the past
while a contemporary mentality of prevailing freshness and in vogue
attitudes soars by us. But, this aspect of age is matured like a fine
wine imbued with deeper and more complex flavors with each passing
season. Few can appreciate the subtle nuances of practiced tenure,
wisdom gained through struggle and comprehension of future
consequences bottled within these walls and within our hearts and
minds. Do not look upon our Fraternity with a dulled eye of times gone
by; but contemplate and observe the acumen of a rich antiquity which
tempers the fervent steel of innovation. For simply the presence of
modern wealth does not ensure the longevity of a full and well spent
life for you or for this Lodge. Old is Gold my Brethren, but
innovation means preservation.

A Lodge of Freemasons is a living entity in my opinion. Year after
year, some Lodges extinguish their flame of life while others spark a
new ember and glow forthwith. Thankfully, we are blessed with an
opulent and vibrant history and our wick continues to burn. Step into
our Lodge and her aura blankets you with every turn. The faint wisp
of pipe tobacco lingering at the front door subtly suggests of days
gone by. There is simply something about an old building which makes
one wonder what she has seen; if the walls could talk would they
rejoice or denounce our presence? Although her upkeep cost is
increasing, there is pride in owning our old building on Main Street.

We breath life into our Ritual with each Degree. Every word echoes in
the halls of history and consider for a moment, our Brothers
generations ago spoke these very same words. Our Brothers invested
their time and efforts to codify and protect our Ritual and 130 years
later we are resounding their written word. Compared to our present
day language, our ritual sounds antiquated and out of touch but offers
the morals and virtues as indispensable fundamentals of how to live
respected and die regretted. There is no denying it, no persuasion to
gain from arguments. Our work, our ideals, our foundations are old. We
cannot run from it or hide from society’s label, but rather let us
embrace the quiet confidence that we have faced multiple adversaries
and still stand on our own two feet. But, what is old is gold
Brethren, when the right Light shines upon it.

Resting on our laurels and allowing the perfumed air of antiquity to
wash over us may give the impression of a well-worn path but this
pondering is deceptive. Old is gold, but innovation means
preservation. Let us not stare at our reflection in the gilded wealth
of our saga, for this surely leads to darkness. A blending of our past
and a fresh dose of potential keeps the wind in our sails. Our Lodge
is changing, whether we like it or not. I am of the belief that
choosing to move forward is better than being told to move forward.
The reins of our progression into the new dawn of Freemasonry are well
within our hands. If we are not the lead dog, the view will never
change. Our innovation, creativity and ambition keep us relevant in
exponentially changing times.

Finally, I want to leave you with a parting consideration: The Ship of
Theseus. This old wooden warship survived many a battle and was docked
for preservation for citizens to see. Over time, the planks would warp
and require replacement until finally every piece of this ship was
replaced, an exact replica of the original ship. Not one original
piece of the ship remains; but yet it endures in the harbor. We
respect our Brothers gone to the Celestial Lodge above by keeping the
ship the same, but new, active, inquisitive members support the
longevity of our beloved vessel by staying afloat. We are the planks
supporting the boat; interlocked with each other and flexing with the
lapping waves of time. Keep your eyes on the horizon Brethren for the
Great Architect steers our ship yonder into the night.