The North Carolina Mason

Page 6 The North Carolina Mason January/February 2021 A s we approach the spring and look back over the past year, I can say with certainty that the past 365 days have been anything but normal. I remember hearing about COVID-19 on the news at the Grand Secretary's Conference in Louisville, Kentucky, in February 2020. I came in late to the conversa- tion because Jonathan Underwood and I had just intro- duced our conference's keynote speaker, David Browning, a North Carolina Mason who spoke eloquently about membership loss and his research on Freema- sonry's future — what men expect out of our institution — friend- ship, camaraderie, support, and something greater than themselves to participate in. How little we knew, or could know, how the world would change within a matter of days. But, brethren, the world has not changed for the worse. What we have seen presented before us are opportunities. When we could not meet, our Grand Master urged us to embrace technology and meet virtually. When we thought we had lost touch, we dove into a campaign to contact and speak with every brother. When social and civil unrest threatened our cities and attempted to divide us, our Grand Lodges met together in unity to profess to the world why Masonry is relevant and uniting. All year you called the office and shared your stories of reconnecting with lost brothers. Of teaching older brothers how to use computers and electronic devices. Of adapting to our new surroundings to conduct socially distanced degree work. We walked together and talked together to better understand our neighbors' plight and points of view. I hope each and every one of you know that Masonry stepped up and entered the 21st Century with a brighter future than ever. Brethren, 2020 was a very stressful year. And stress does one of two things. It can crush you, or it can form you into a diamond. I want to think most of us took the opportunity to absorb the stress and learn to reflect light to the world. ere are still challenges ahead of us. Political polarization threatens to rip the nation and our fraternity apart. I urge you to think carefully about how you feel, then think just as carefully about what those who think differently from you feel. After our cities were rocked by social injustice, murder, racism, marches, protests, and riots did you consider that the other side's concerns were as valid as your own? Did you try to reach out to someone with a different viewpoint and understand their pain? Now, I am concerned about what happened at the Capitol. I am concerned for the police involved who were attacked. I wonder what would have happened had the Representatives or Senators been captured by the mob. I believe many attended that event, including some members of the fraternity, intending only to express their constitutional right to protest. But, somewhere, something went wrong. I want to think many of those who found themselves in the middle of the tumult might have recognized the error of their way. I want to think they thought better of the situation and left the area. I hope those people look inward and seriously contemplate their actions, for those actions were not appropriate to the function of an open, free government. ose actions are not the actions of Freemasons. I stand solidly beside our Grand Master and the statement he made after our nation's Capitol was overrun by extremists and terrorists. And I find it difficult to compre- hend how someone can claim to be a Freemason and a Klan member, Proud Boy, QAnon disciple, or Neo- Nazi. ose groups are not fraternal and have no place in our fraternity. ey seek to pit people again people. Freemasonry seeks to unite men from all races, creeds, colors, and persuasions. at is our strength. ere was some dissension over the events at the Capitol, but there has been so much more positive and constructive conversation. We can talk and we can listen, and that is how we build fraternity and under- standing. I cannot be more proud to be a brother to the hundreds of Freemasons who have supported this message through positive emails, letters, phone calls, and text messages. e outpouring of soli- darity is overwhelming and reaffirms my faith in our Masonic institution and the direction in which it is headed. We can best work and best agree. We have grown a lot this past year. We have flexed our minds, and it shows. at is what Freemasonry teaches us to do. ank you, brethren, for all you do for each other, for our communities, for our nation, and for the world. We have come so far and have a bright future ahead. Keep the faith. Share the light. And, remember, every human being has a claim up on our kind offices. As world changes, look for the opportunities By Walt Clapp Grand Secretary By Rev. Mark M. Vickers Past Grand Chaplain e new year has made its entrance, we are two months into what could appear to be another somewhat unusual year. It's inter- esting that for so many years we have assumed that a new year was in some way supposed to replicate the past year. I believe that we can put that ideology to rest after 2020. Yet, in a fraternity that tends to place some basic tenets in repeti- tion, I yearn for some of the past, some of the same, some comfort in knowing that what we do as brothers is repetitive and will never change. As we move through the stages of life, both in age progression, maturity, and responsibility I believe we long to have the good things fall into place. For things that fall into place give us comfort, and the Grand Architect in our lives surely knows that we need comfort now, this year. So, as we hopefully move back into the work of the lodge, we must keep the basic tenets at hand. Practice good hygiene, stay healthy, keep your distance if you don't feel well, and if you have a good looking mask, wear it! It is with those basic tenants and caring for one another that we will be able to replicate what has happened in the past to a certain extent. I want to draw on something from my faith tradition as a United Methodist that I believe sets all of us on the same course of brother- hood and obligation.Our founder John Wesley, in his basic rules, reminds us that one of the great connectors to the Grand Architect is to do no harm! ere are many ways to put that principle into practice and I encourage you, as diverse as we are in Masonry, to make that a prime condition for the way in which we live our lives. For it is practicing that principle we illustrate in so many ways, what Masonry is all about.Do no harm and have a great 2021!! PRAYER: Grand Architect, we come to you seeking comfort and solace in the midst of turmoil every day. Calm our hearts, minds, and spirits and help us to be rays of light in a dark world. SMIB. AMEN. THE PRAYER CORNER

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