Talk of freedom is much in the air these days but somehow it rings with a false tone. Rather than evoking something precious to be cherished it carries an odd note of desperation, a sense of thrusting words into deep fissures, raising for me, at least, an image of old rags being used to caulk the leaking timbers of a ship. I feel bound to ask: what indeed is this freedom? And does it serve us or should we serve it?
    Perhaps the symbolism of Freemasonry will clarify the matter: is it right that the foundation stone of a great temple should be free to crumble away, to abdicate its responsibility for sharing the common burden and thus cause the whole structure to fall? Clearly not. Yet that is precisely the right that many seem to think is encompassed by the demand for freedom. They forget that to be independent does not imply that one is free; all too often the reverse is the case.
    When, at the beginning of our masonic journey, upon our first entry into the lodge at our initiation, we attest to our freedom, we are attesting to our acceptance of a great responsibility, freely and without inner or outer influence. We are choosing to accept the age-old principles of Freemasonry: fraternal love of the Community, relief for those who are in need, and the journey in pursuit of truth.
    That these are not over-idealistic and excessively high-minded aspirations to be read and dismissed may seem a difficult proposition to those obsessed with the ‘real world’, whatever that truly is. Such cynics forget that these are basic principles of humanity which can be exercised at every moment in the twenty-four hours of every day. To be a Freemason means to aspire to them. And, freely, to practise them to the best of our ability.
   
    O O O O O O O O
   
    The Freemasonry Today trip to Egypt was again a great success. HPB Travel maintained the English end with great efficiency and Quest Travel of Giza excelled themselves in providing us with exclusive access to most of the sites - temples and pyramids - we visited. The President of Quest, Mohamed Nazmy, and Egyptologist Fathy Yehia (former Curator of the Tutankhamun exhibition) accompanied us and ensured that we were treated as guests rather than tourists. An article about the trip will appear in the next issue of Freemasonry Today.
    We are already planning next year’s trip and, influenced by requests, we are going to vary this one a little: we intend visiting Abu Simbel, cruising Lake Nasser as well as the Nile and offering an optional ‘add-on’ at the end of Mount Sinai, the Monastery of St Catherine, and some days at Petra, in Jordan. The exact schedule and prices have not yet been worked out but if you are interested then please ring Tracey Strand at HPB Travel, telephone 01638 674744, and get on our mailing list.
    HPB are also providing two other trips to readers of Freemasonry Today who cannot wait until next Easter to get away and explore. In conjunction with Cox & Kings they have organised a trip to India in February 2005 - taking in Delhi, Agra, and the Rajasthan cities of Jaipur, Jodhpur, Ranakpur and Udaipur. A second trip departs for Peru in 2005 visiting Nazca, Lake Titicaca, Cuzco and Macchu Picchu with extra options of visits to the Amazon or the Galapagos Islands. I will not be accompanying these trips but having visited most of the sites I can recommend them as fascinating and beautiful places. Again, those interested should ring Tracey Strand.
    Michael Baigent MA – Editor