WHEN A MIRROR IS THRUST UPON YOUR ACTIONS

Recently I sat in an audience of brethren listening to a speaker who spoke in measured tones. It was so surprising when he explained something no one ever wanted to hear but every honest man in the room knew to be true. The short form was like this; Freemasonry extends to improve good men. When we compromise any aspect of ritual we are violating the opportunity vital to his growth whether we are aware or not.  From a time when we held oral history in our palms, every word mattered. Today, we are able to rationalize compromises we make. Generation's on, the cascade has not lead to improvement but erosion. Dare we look into the mirror thrust before us?   Look deeply; do you see the truth?  Freemasonry is enduring. Great ideas in the minds of smart men have spun an intriguing tapestry that too often we fold away in a drawer, keeping it out of mind.   Efforts are made occasionally to resurrect it. Not conspicuously. Not to compete with shallow effort. Making sure we don't really expect we could or should tolerate the discomfort that we bring forth as we come out of our own ego. Where the estates have failed, Freemasonry stands up to contrast cynicism and piety similarly- proding us gently to examine our lives.  We may want the anecdote for shallowness but that is where we are today. A small group, authentically prepared, able to share the prespective from both sides of the mirror.  Character building happens when you least expect it.  Preparation is not necessary. And the timing is never right. Neither does the task ever fade.