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BACK NEXT Spring 2008 Issue 44 Letter from the Editor Grand Lodge News News and Views On The Level International News Beyond the Craft A Fresh Eye European Grand Master's Conference Secrecy and Suppression What is the Central Purpose? Mysteries of the Standing Stones Texas and the Alamo The Potters' Art Brother Lightfoote's Journal Review: Masonic Networks and Connections Review: Seeing the Light Review: Western Esotericism and Rituals of Initiation Review: Masonically Speaking Letters to the Editor Internet Library & Museum of Freemasonry Grand Lodge Quarterly Communication Masonic Charities Canon Richard Tydeman: Without Detriment Copyright 1997-2008 FREEMASONRY TODAY Designed and Maintained by: Cyberpoint Limited

FREEMASONRY TODAY Without Detriment A curious word – ‘detriment’. The Dictionary says it comes from the Latin ‘deterere’ meaning ‘to wear away’ and therefore ‘to cause damage, harm or loss’. What, then, can it possibly have to do with Freemasonry which prides itself on being founded on the practice of every moral and social virtue? In several places in our ritual, notably in the first degree working tools and in the third obligation, we use such words as ‘serving a brother in time of need without detriment to myself or connections’, or ‘to relieve his necessities so far as may fairly be done without detriment…’. Is there really anything in Freemasonry that can cause damage, harm or loss to me or my connections? Look at it first ... High Time Time is rather like money: it can be kept or lost, it can be saved or wasted, given or received, made or spent. A young man once arrived on a new motorcycle at his grandfather’s door. ‘Do you know, grandfather,’ he said, ‘that with this new bike I have saved ten minutes on the journey here.’ ‘Saved ten minutes, eh?’ answered the old man. ‘And what are you going to do with them? One should always have a purpose in saving time. The biblical book Ecclesiastes which contains the wonderful advice to ‘remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth’ also contains eight verses on the use of time, beginning, ‘To everything there is a season, and a time for every purpose under heaven’ ... Divested of Metal A candidate for Masonry might well be puzzled by what at first sight appears to be a paradox; for on the one hand he is told to pay the necessary fee before being admitted, and on the other hand he is informed that no money, in fact no metal of any kind, is to be taken into the lodge by him. Later, when he begins to understand the symbolism of the Craft, he will see that it was necessary to symbolise his ‘helpless indigence’ by making him poor and penniless as part of his preparation, and to remind him of the needs of others. Yes, but why extend the ban on money to a ban on all ‘metallic substance’? A conscientious Tyler will even insist on removing a candidate’s belt or braces ... Faith and Trust In all cases of difficulty and danger, in whom do you put your trust?’ The answer, of course, is ‘In God’, and with faith so well founded a candidate for Freemasonry may advance with a firm but humble confidence. What, exactly, do we mean by faith? A child who was asked this question once replied, ‘Faith means believing in something that you know to be untrue’ which I think is a fairly common error today. The Bible puts it very differently, in a passage quoted word for word in the First Masonic Lecture (unfortunately seldom heard these days): ‘Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen’. Yes, evidence. Faith is not limited to vague religious ... Canon Richard Tydeman I used to do quite a lot of travelling by air and, of course, funny things were sometimes bound to occur. One particular flight was going to a not very well-known country - let’s just call it Ruritania for now - and as we flew the passengers were each given one of those ‘landing cards’ to fill in with such details as, where are you coming from, and where are you going to, and why. Now, every country has a different set of questions to ask: one will require your father’s occupation, another wants to know your mother’s maiden name, or how long you have lived in your present abode, and so on. This particular card asked, ‘What is your address in Ruritania?’ followed by, ‘What is ... The Distinguishing Badge At his initiation every Freemason is invested with an apron consisting of a plain white lambskin and this, he is told, is the distinguishing badge of a Freemason. As he progresses in the Craft this lambskin becomes decorated and adorned with rosettes and other symbols and bordered with colour, but the white lambskin is still there and stilt represents the badge of innocence and the bond of friendship. The investing officer informs the new member that his distinguishing badge is more ancient than the Golden Fleece or Roman Eagle, and more honourable than the Garter or any other Order in existence. This seems rather a bold claim to make, so let us reflect on it for a while ... Reflections on Visiting Masonry is described as ‘Universal’ and although no lodge has yet been contacted outside our particular galaxy, the Craft can be found in every part of this world of ours. There are, of course, differences in details of ritual but the ideals of Brotherly Love, Relief, and Truth, remain as landmarks generally acknowledged. This unity has been achieved largely through our refusal to discuss either politics or religion, leaving every Brother free to make his own arrangements for worship and polity. In this way we can meet Brethren of other Constitutions on equal terms while still retaining our own religious beliefs and without sacrificing our own patriotism. One of the great advantages of this system is that ... Profit and Pleasure In Freemasonry we find both Labour and Refreshment; we are called from one to the other, and back again ‘that profit and pleasure may be the result.’ Now, at first sight, this might seem to be a rather materialistic and selfish purpose - like investing money in a company merely in order to share in its cash profits and find the pleasure in so doing. Is that really what we mean? Certainly not. A prospective candidate for Freemasonry is always interviewed by a Lodge committee to make sure that his motives are truly ‘masonic’ in every sense; and any applicant who says he wants to join because he thinks that membership of a Lodge would be ‘good for his business’ would very soon ... Labour and Refreshment Let us reflect upon the subject of refreshment after labour. Is it a good thing or is it a bad thing? Masonry has sometimes been branded as a highly exclusive Dining Club; is there any truth in that? Is the dinner really necessary? Look at the bad side first: there is no doubt that it is the meal after the meeting that has attracted some recruits into Freemasonry and if the meal were to be abolished probably most of those recruits would drop out of the membership list straight away. Unfortunate, but inevitable. So, how necessary is the meal? Looking at the printed summons to a masonic meeting one might think it as important as the meeting itself: following the agenda for the meeting ... Duty Owed Just two hundred years ago the famous signal was issued by Admiral Lord Nelson, reminding the fleet that England was expecting every man to do his duty. And as we know, every man did, and many of them - including the Admiral - gave their lives in so doing. ‘Duty’: it is a word that we don’t hear so much these days. Everybody wants their ‘rights’ but few will acknowledge their duties. However, Freemasonry leaves no doubt in the minds of its members that duties play an important part in our conduct. The Charge given to a candidate after Initiation recommends the serious study of the Bible, for therein we learn of the important duties we owe to God, neighbour and self ... Misunderstandings The trouble about getting old is that one can easily lose touch with the young; we don’t always seem to be speaking the same language! For instance, I will freely admit that I have never listened to Radio One in my life and consequently had never even heard of a disc jockey called John Peel. So when a young lady told me, in a sorrowful voice, that ‘John Peel has died’, I wrongly imagined that this was some sort of catch or a juvenile joke, so I replied, ‘Well, he had probably just heard that the government propose to abolish hunting.’ The young lady looked at me in bewilderment. ‘What’s that got to do with it?’ she asked. ‘Oh,’ said I, ‘D’ye ken him - with his hounds and his horn ... Arts and Sciences A Freemason is charged - among other things - to study such of the Liberal Arts and Sciences as may lie within the compass of his attainment. These are seven in number and are named as Grammar, Rhetoric, Logic, Arithmetic, Geometry, Music and Astronomy. Scholars in the Middle Ages divided these arts and sciences into two groups, three in one and four in the other. Grammar, Rhetoric and Logic became known as the Trivium of ‘Way of Three’, while the other four formed the Quadrivium or ‘Way of Four’. Because the Trivium had to be learnt first it was considered by some to be a sort of preparatory study and therefore inferior to the Quadrivium ... Fathers and Sons Of all the Freemasons I have met, the one I have most admired was my own father. That is quite natural you think? And yet it has always surprised me that so many sons of masons never go on to become masons themselves. Why is that I wonder? Could it be due to lack of encouragement? In years gone by, the ‘secrecy’ of the Craft meant that masons would never talk about masonry – even to their own sons, and so the sons tended to feel that perhaps they were not wanted It was quite the opposite in my own case: I always knew that my father was a mason, and I am told that from the age of about sixteen I had begun to ask questions about the lodge ... Who Were Moses, Aholiab and Bezaleel? These three men get a mention in the Royal Arch but it is a very brief mention and little more is said about them afterwards. So what is their claim to fame? At the beginning of the book Exodus in the Bible the Hebrews had been in Egypt for several generations and had increased in number to such an extent that the Egyptian Pharaoh determined to reduce their population by a species of genocide: male Hebrew babies were to be destroyed at birth. A couple named Amram and Jochabed, who already had a teenage daughter, Miriam, and a three-year-old son, Aaron, now produced a new son and did their best to keep him alive. After three months in hiding, Jochabed ... Reflecting on Reflections Are you one of those people who never come out well in photographs? When you look through the prints, do you find yourself saying, ‘This is quite good of Uncle, and the photographer has caught Auntie’s expression exactly – but that one isn’t a bit like me!’ How do you know? They say that the camera cannot lie so who are we to believe? The trouble is that you have never actually seen yourself. ‘Rubbish’, I hear you say, ‘I see myself every time I look in a mirror.’ But you don’t see yourself as the camera sees you; in the mirror you only see yourself back to front: you may part your hair on the right and wear a button-hole in the left lapel of your jacket, but the mirror ... Distinctions Amongst Men In one of the ‘optional’ parts of our ritual there is the statement that ‘distinctions among men are necessary to preserve subordination’. Now we have all heard of ‘insubordination’. From the fellow who is cheeky to the school prefect all the way up to the member of Parliament who refuses to vote as his Party tells him to, but we don’t often use the word ‘subordination’ on its own and may well wonder why it is necessary to preserve it. Breaking the word down to its original parts we have ‘ordination’ from the Latin meaning ‘placing in order’, ‘setting apart’, ‘appointing to office’. This is more often used of holy orders conferred on clergy though it can equally signify the appointment ... The Two Saint Johns Or should it be ‘The Two Saints John’? I can never remember. Anyway, we know there were two of them. Actually there were quite a lot more ‘Johns’, including John the Almoner, John the Divine, Prester John et al., but the two we immediately recognise are John the Baptist and John the Evangelist. John the Baptist was a close relative of Jesus, their mothers being cousins, and his life was devoted to preparing people for the coming of Christ. What has all this to do with Freemasonry? Very little of a direct nature but masons had early adopted John the Baptist as their Patron Saint. He was, after all, a splendid example of uprightness and square conduct, unshaken fidelity ... Meek and Candid During the ceremony of Initiation the new Freemason is commended for his ‘meek and candid behaviour’, and I wonder if the meaning of that phrase is generally understood? Unfortunately the word ‘meek’ has become, for many people, synonymous with ‘weak’ and therefore by no means a desirable quality to possess. This is a pity because meekness in its original sense is a proof of inner strength and restraint. There are many references to meekness in the Bible which show it as being very far from weakness: for instance, in Numbers, (ch.12, v.3), we find ‘Moses was very meek’ – and I don’t think that even his most severe critics could ever have described Moses ... Who was Who? Within the history and rituals of Freemasonry we come across the names of various characters – mainly from the Bible but we do not always have the time to stop and consider who these characters were and what part they played. I have tried to correct this by producing Reflections of the ‘Who was…’ nature. Several of these have appeared in other books while in Freemasonry Today we have already had ‘Who was Raphael?’ ‘Who was Joshua?’ and ‘Who was Jephthah?’ About some characters we know too little to make a complete article and so in this issue I offer reflections on two entirely different men ... Emulation I used to look across the chancel in St. Paul’s Cathedral to read the inscriptions on the stalls opposite, for each one is surmounted by the first words, in Latin, of one of the Psalms. One that intrigued me bears the opening words of Psalm 37: Noli emulari which, I suppose, could be loosely translated, ‘Have nothing whatever to do with Emulation’. Later, looking up the rest of the sentence, I find it reads, Noli emulari in malignantibus; the Authorised Version reads: ‘Fret not thyself because of evil-doers’, the New English Bible has, ‘Do not emulate those who do wrong’. This, then, accounts for what at first appears to be a paradox, for ‘emulation’ is defined in the dictionary as ‘the attempt...’ Festive Bored? It has become customary, in many Lodges, to refer to the meal after the meeting as "The Festive Board". Festive no doubt it is, but it is followed by speeches, and men who have arrived feeling festive are in danger of departing feeling bored. I do not say this is bound to happen, but the danger is always there. Do we, perhaps, take as much trouble about the speeches as we do about the work in Lodge? We hold Lodges of Instruction and Rehearsals, and give young Masons help and encouragement in learning and putting over the ritual, but when it comes to speech-making it is every man for himself! Now I do not profess to be an expert, nor would I dare to offer advice to ... Who Was Jephthah? "The renowned Gileadite general", as we know him, was a highly complex character and a tragic hero in the true sense of those words. His story can be found in chapters eleven and twelve of the Book of Judges. To start with, he was illegitimate. His father had other sons who were born in wedlock but Jephthah’s mother was a concubine and therefore his half-brothers refused to acknowledge him and made his life so miserable that he ran away and "lived rough" in the hills. Here he gathered a band of outlaws in Robin Hood fashion and carried on guerrilla warfare against all and sundry. This experience evidently taught him the principles of leadership and strategy ... Lodge Banners The use of banners, standards or ensigns is of very ancient origin. Carvings and paintings on the walls of Egyptian tombs show that such things were carried in processions many thousands of years ago. The Israelites therefore, at the time of their exodus from Egyptian bondage, would have been well accustomed to the practice, and when they encamped in the wilderness of Sinai, as we read in the second chapter of the Book of Numbers, they were told: "Every man of the children of Israel shall pitch by his own standard, with the ensign of his father’s house." Thus began a custom which has existed right ... Secrets? What Secrets? Every Freemason has solemnly sworn never to reveal any of the secrets or mysteries of masonry – but what exactly do we mean by that? There is no doubt that in medieval times the secrets of the operative masons were very practical indeed. They included the methods of proving uprights and horizontals, the knowledge of tools and their uses, and – perhaps the most important – the ability to make an angle of ninety degrees to ensure that a stone was square. These secrets took a considerable time to learn and involved a long apprenticeship followed by years as a Craftsman before eventually perhaps becoming a Master of the Art ... Grand Lodge Certificates Every Freemason, after he has qualified in all three degrees, is issued with a Certificate from Grand Lodge confirming that the Brother whose name appears below has been duly accepted and registered in the books of the Grand Lodge of England. The Certificate is usually presented during a meeting of the Lodge, with an explanation of its contents and its uses. The design of this Certificate, we are told, has been unchanged since 1819. That is true of the general design, but of course there are little details that have to be changed from time to time: of these the most prominent is the title and coat of arms of the Grand Master at the top. Our present Grand Master, H.R.H. the Duke of Kent ... Taken for Granted Masonic ritual, as we know it, dates from the early eighteenth century and makes statements that were taken for granted in those days – but are they still true today? The one that immediately springs to mind is the mention of `the posture of my daily supplications’. This statement makes two questionable assumptions: first, that every candidate is in the habit of saying prayers every day, and secondly, that he kneels down to say them – of what else could a `knee’ remind him than the act of kneeling? Kneeling has always been a demonstration of humility, and many a potentate has demanded that his subjects should only approach him on their knees. Kneeling for prayer to God, however ... Who Was Joshua? “If Joshua was Zerubbabel’s High Priest, how could he also have fought the battles of the Lord?" This was a question I was asked recently. The answer, of course, is quite simple: there were two different Joshuas; well, actually there are at least half a dozen Joshuas in the Bible, but only two who are mentioned in our ritual: Joshua, the son of Nun, and Joshua, the son of Josedech, and they are separated by about a thousand years. Joshua, the son of Nun, is well documented. He was born in captivity in Egypt, witnessed the ten plagues, and shared in the hurried departure of the Exodus. Moses soon realised this young man’s potential and appointed Joshua captain of his army ... Jubilation “Our lodge is having its jubilee – will you come as my guest? Which jubilee is it – silver, golden or diamond?” Do you notice anything odd about that conversation? Probably not; but just over a hundred years ago it would have made very little sense, for in those days “jubilee” just meant 50 years. Full stop. Freemasonry recognises 100 years and regularly issues Centenary Warrants, but it has tended to overlook 50 years which is, after all, only half a century. Man has always tended to count in tens and hundreds – presumably because ten fingers and ten toes make an easily operated computer. No doubt if we had been given 12 digits instead of 10, we should all be counting ... What's in a Name? Thou shalt not take the Name of the Lord thy God in vain"; so runs the third of the Ten Commandments. But what is this Name, and how shall we know it? In the last issue of Freemasonry Today we saw how the word which we pronounce as JEHOVAH was actually made by combining the consonants JHVH with the vowels of ADONAI (pronounced as "EDONAY"), the Hebrew word for "Lord". This was done because JHVH was never allowed to be pronounced, except by the High Priest once a year, so the word Adonai was always substituted ... Certain Hebrew Characters Tourists in the Middle East are always regaled by the local guides with fanciful explanations of natural phenomena. One splendid example of this is as follows: “God has one hundred names: man knows only ninety-nine of them, but the camel knows the hundredth. That is why the camel always goes round with his nose in the air and a superior look on his face.” Well, that's as may be, but does God really have a hundred names? I suppose one could count The Lord, The Almighty, Providence, The All Merciful, The One Above and so on. But these are really descriptions and functions ... Who Was Raphael? In one of the Other Degrees of Freemasonry a character is introduced with these words (right): This is Raphael who conducts the candidate through an important part of the ceremony. The words are obviously a quotation, but you will look for them in vain in the Old and New Testaments; they come in fact from the Apocrypha, a collection of books which may be used for ‘instruction of manners’ but are not included in the canonical Holy Scriptures. The book quoted here is Tobit, a curious tale which might well have come from the Arabian Nights, yet contains some wonderful prayers ... Sincerity How often one has heard a visitor, struggling to find something complimentary to say about a rather poor ceremony, falling back on “..but it was so sincere…”, implying that we all knew it wasn’t perfect but the intention was there. Oddly enough, this is almost the exact opposite of what the word ‘sincere’ originally meant! The word came into use via the French ‘sincère’ in the 16th century, having started as the Latin sincerus, meaning clean, pure sound. This in its turn was actually a combination of two Latin words: sine, meaning ‘without, and cera, meaning ‘wax’ ... As Time Goes By I am one of that rare breed - now an endangered species: a Pre-War Mason. Having been initiated in 1937 when the Duke of Connaught was still our Grand Master, it makes me now by far the oldest member of my Mother Lodge, a position which has the disadvantage that there is nobody left to share my memories of things as they were then. And how were things then? Well, to start with, at every meeting we wore full evening dress or dinner jackets with stiff shirt-front, bow tie and stand-up collar - none of your soft shirt stuff. Lodge meetings couldn’t start before six ...   Canon Richard Tydeman © FreemasonryToday 1997-2008