Deeper Than That....

I had quite an experience recently. The kind that makes you proud to be a Mason, but like so many of our experiences, led to some soul searching and a new understanding of our Fraternity.

I spend one long, full day at the Shriner's Hospital in Los Angeles, California. I was not only exposed to the depth of the process that the hospital's Board of Governors goes through in managing the administration of the hospitals affairs, but also witnessed first hand some of the joys of their achievement.

It all culminated in the watching of a young tyke who was unable to walk due to severe burns to his feet, but after extensive surgeries, was now dashing around to an uplifting day!

Back home and while relating all of this to the neighbor, I learned that a mutual acquaintance of ours had actually taken a daughter to Los Angeles Shriner's Hospital for corrective surgery. I ran across the fella at a wedding shortly thereafter and asked him about the experience. He was ecstatic about the wonderful care, free of charge, but finished by relaying comment from his preacher. The reverend had indicated that, although it was nice what had been done for his daughter, to not forget that those Shriners are "Not our kind of people.

Bingo. Bubble burst...."Not our kind of people". I thought about the comment for days, reflecting on his attitude, reflecting on the question "Just what kind of people are Shriners? My answer was that we are really quite diverse, but with one communality. That being that we are all Masons.

That led to the next question, "What kind of people are Masons?" Once again the answer, that we are really quite diverse, but with one commonality, that we all believe in God. I would say to this man of the cloth that we (Masons) are his kind of people because we share with him a belief in God, But the reasons go "deeper than that."

I recently ran across a clipping about a Norwegian explorer. one Fridtjof Nansen, who long ago led an expedition to the Arctic Ocean. As a part of his studies, he would drop a sounding line to check the ocean's depth. Since the line was too short to reach the bottom of the ocean, he would record the date, time, location, length of line and a final note of "deeper than that."

He then lowered a longer line with the same result and notation "deeper than that" Another attempt, still "deeper than that." Finally, after lowering his longest line, the logbook received the final notation of so and so length of line and "deeper than that."

My, Brethren, I am proud to be a Mason, a Scottish Rite Mason, a York Rite Mason and, yes, a Christian Mason, and this pride is anchored in love within our great Fraternity, and for reasons "deeper than that".

When we as individuals have gone through some of our darkest hours bolstered by the genuine support of caring Brothers, we experience a love "deeper than that".

Our Fraternity's lesson of integrity make a difference every day of our lives because the lessons help us to develop the habit of doing the right thing, and in doing so, we live Masonry's "deeper than that". When we as Masons can work out differences with our Brothers, or with the profane for the common good of the world, we demonstrate co-operation that is "deeper than that".

When we as Masons do what we do because we said we would over a handshake, we demonstrate a trust that is "deeper than that".

When we give until it hurts that crippled children or burned children can walk (Shrine Masons), dyslexic children can read (Scottish Rite Masons),the visually challenged can see (York Rite Masons), and know that all of those contributions are but a fraction of what we have given to our churches, then we have supported our charity with a love "deeper than that".

And when we, in Lodge room assembled, sit with Brethren representing religion from the world around, enjoying each others fraternal love and respect, then we enjoy a tolerance which is "deeper than that."

I am now full circle, having assured myself that it is OK to be a Mason; that our Fraternity is just that, a fraternity, nothing more, that each one of us joined of our own free will and accord; and learned the lessons of Masonry. I have the right to belong to, enjoy, and labor for this Fraternity, all the while knowing that it is making a positive difference in this world.

To the preacher, and to my fellow Christians, I say that Masons are "your kind of people" Masons are all about integrity, cooperation, love or charity, and trust and tolerance. Masons is all of this and yes, like the ocean, it is "deeper than that".