THE MISSION OF MASONRY IN A
CHANGING WORLD
A STUDY FOR THE ENQUIRING FREEMASON

“THE MISSION OF MASONRY IN A CHANGING WORLD”
by M.W.Bro. Francis J. Scurry, M.D.

The need for a sustaining force in a changing world has become evident to every thinking man, and particularly to us as Masons. Masonry offers a philosophy of life that can maintain, support and inspire men, not only in times of stress, but in their hours of leisure as well.

Masonry has a mission in the world today. It can do much
for men in their search for the Light that can bring them peace and happiness, which is the goal of every man.

We are living in a world that is changing rapidly. It presents not only a rare
opportunity, but a definite challenge for the Masonic Fraternity to justify its purpose as a constructive force in character building, and as a philosophy of life that will enable men to rise above material things and find happiness and contentment in spiritual enlightenment.

The tempo of life today, while speeding up the production of materials and
equipment, has markedly increased the tension of every day living. It has, however,
shortened the working hours for most people, and has consequently given them more
leisure time. How that leisure time is employed is most important.
We are living in a time of turmoil and uncertainty. No longer is there a feeling of
security, nor the certainty that the future will hold a time of comfort and ease for us.
It is a time of stress.
Stress is difficult to define. It is not fear. rather it implies tension, arising from a
conflict within ourselves or a combat with circumstances, that the issue is uncertain,
that the outcome may be unsuccessful, and that the individual is fully aware of that
situation. It is certainly one which arouses the feeling of an unending and unyielding
struggle.
Stress presents a real problem today. You are all familiar with the impact or pressure
of our present day speed of living. In times past, life went by in a more leisurely
manner, news travelled slowly. Stories of war and disaster reached the ears of the
people long after the event had lost its dynamic power and no longer carded any
sense of personal relationship. But today it is different. The events of yesterday in
the far-flung corners of the world are headlines of next morning’s newspaper, or the
radio or television may present them to the listener within an hour of their
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happening. It is remarkable that man has been able to survive this sudden change in
life’s tempo. It speaks well for the adaptability of man. Most of these developments
have come within the past fifty years. Many of you may remember the beginnings of
these discoveries and inventions which we now use so casually, yet which have so
radically altered our very existence. The radio, television, movies, automobiles, and
airplanes have opened wide our vision as to how the rest of the world lives. These
things have not only enriched our lives, but have added greatly to the tension of life.
It calls for a day to day, even an hour to hour, regulation and adjustment of our
bodily reactions to enable us to meet and cope with the world today.
The problem brought by stress may come to children, but it is certain to come to the
youth and to the mature man. The youth finds the responsibilities of life looming
before him. To middle age is brought a struggle to maintain one’s position and to
advance in one’s chosen work. The more civilized peoples are affected to a greater
degree than the primitive tribes, for their greater understanding of the meaning and
possibilities of events makes a greater conflict in their minds and in their lives. For
them continued stress without relief, or a time of relaxation, is indeed a serious
problem.
Continued stress without periods of rest may produce marked changes in the body.
We all know of executives in charge of large business interests who develop high
blood pressure or a coronary attack in their struggle to keep abreast of the tide of
business today. Others acquire indigestion, a nervous breakdown or vascular
disorders in their effort to keep up with the busy stride of work. Even in the home,
stress may have its effect, because of the complexity of duties, responsibilities and
social pressures which combine to bring a never ending load for each twenty-four
hours. It is remarkable that man has been able to survive, let alone keep up with the
pace set before him.
What can be done to relieve this stress?
Can we remove stress from the world?
No. Life today requires that man must work, work with competition, and with
increased speed and skill if he is to succeed. It is said that the only place where there
is no stress is in Heaven, for in Heaven there is no hunger, no money, no marriage,
and no personal ambitions. But heaven on earth is still a vision in the far future.
Can we remove stress from the individual?
No. everyone cannot succeed. Since material possessions and wealth are now
considered the measure of success in life, this type of success can come to only a
small percentage of the population. Not everyone can reach the top. We cannot give
everyone a raise in salary, a better home, a smarter car, in order that he may succeed.
Can we treat the individual for the effects of stress?
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Perhaps. Medical science has come a long way in the understanding of the problem.
A whole new field of medicine, called psychosomatic medicine, has been developed
to study and treat such cases. The individual must be brought to a realization of the
cause of his disability, and make an adjustment before it is too late. One must often
look to a higher power than ourselves to break the chain of events which hold us in
the swift race we must run in this day and time.
Can we prevent the effects of stress?
Yes. This offers the greatest opportunity. Prevention is by far a better plan than any
cure. The secret is to arrange for a time away from the pressure of one’s work, a time
of leisure, a holiday time, a time which we can spend in any way we like.
THE IMPORTANCE OF LEISURE
A time of leisure is not necessarily a period of idleness. Rather it implies a change –
a change from the routine hours of work and tension to a more pleasurable
occupation. We do not speak of a machine as being at leisure, but as being idle,
because it does not have life. Human beings are not machines though industry would
make men so. As long as life is present in the body, the brain continues active, even
when we are asleep, because the circulation, respiration and digestion must be kept
active or we cease to live.
Most individuals who have been active in their business or profession cannot accept
enforced idleness, but must have something to occupy their minds. Some pleasant
activity is the answer to the time away from routine work. It implies work that is
done in accordance to one’s own desire, taking one’s own time to carry it out, and
completing it to one’s own satisfaction. Leisure is therefore a time of relaxation with
a pleasurable occupation after a period of strenuous work, a period in which the
brain is still employed but not driven under pressure. Only leisure can rehabilitate
the over stressed mechanism of the mind. Leisure time is a time for
THE PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS
Our forefathers fought and won for us our liberty, and then drew up that remarkable
document, the Constitution of the United States of America. As we read it we find
that it does not guarantee happiness – only life, liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.
It is up to each of us to seek his own happiness, by whatever method or plan he may
find best.
Happiness is the dream of every man. It means more than just the satisfaction of
animal needs – such as food, water, shelter and safety, The happiness we seek is
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something higher, more complete, more satisfying – something that will fill our lives
and last always.
How shall we find this dream of happiness? How can we reach this goal we have set
before us? What can we do to obtain this happiness? What things contribute to this
pursuit of happiness?
Some believe that if they have plenty of money to do what they wanted, to buy
everything they could use, to travel where they wanted, to live a life in leisure they
would be supremely happy and would ask for no more. Yet those who have
accumulated great wealth are not always happy. Money has become the object of the
search and happiness is lost on the way. Great wealth or vast possessions more
frequently bring anxiety and responsibility than happiness. Of course, moderate
wealth does allow one to have leisure time, which is so valuable in the pursuit of
happiness, but wealth alone does not guarantee happiness.
Others think a life dedicated to some interesting field of work or research would be
the answer. We all know that we must work, but too often we look on the other
man’s work and think what an interesting life he must lead, that if we could only
change places we would find happiness. Work well done, however, is often its own
reward. There is a satisfaction in accomplishment and a joy in achievement. Work
gives us the opportunity to earn our leisure and in that leisure we can seek our
happiness.
Some would place fame or recognition for some special quality or ability, for some
unusual accomplishment, or some daring deed as the basis for finding the happiness
we seek. Yet such honour or notoriety is fleeting. Men soon forget the heroes and
benefactors of yesterday. This happiness is too temporary to answer our quest.
Others would be satisfied to possess great power, the right to rule and to govern as
their idea of happiness. Ambitious men have grasped power, trampling on the rights
of others to gain their selfish ends. But have these powerful leaders, dictators or
tyrants achieved real happiness? We have only to look in the pages of history to find
the answer. Alexander, who conquered the then known world, cried because there
were no more worlds to conquer. Napoleon, who became Emperor of France and
conquered most of Europe, finally lost everything and died a prisoner on a lonely
island. More recently Hitler and Mussolini, whose brief abuse of power, brought the
world to its present state of chaos. Not only did they not find happiness for
themselves but they put far in the future the day of happiness and peace for men and
the nations of this earth. Once power is grasped by such despots they must strive and
fight to maintain their pinnacle of glory. There is no time to rest, no time to enjoy the
power they have gained, they have found no true happiness.
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Many have found happiness in hobbies, or in interest in some special field such as
hunting, fishing, golf, music, painting, a collection of stamps or of books, etc. These
are the interests to occupy the leisure time which is so important to us. If these
hobbies are properly used they can bring happiness. But such hobbies and interests
should be developed while we are still young and still at work to bring the best
results. One may find it difficult, when one refines, to take up a hobby as a new
venture. To suddenly reverse the trend of life, giving up our usual employment, and
taking up something new, may bring stress, just what we are trying to avoid. It is
better, if possible, to try out one or more of these hobbies as we go along, to find out
what we like, then the transition will be more gradual and more successful. Life is a
continuous process of adjustment, day by day. If we fail to make these adjustments,
then we lose our inner peace. It is best to plan and prepare for one’s leisure activity,
while engaged in carrying on our life’s work. Then these outside interests will be
brought into the pattern of life and ready to be used when we come to our days of
leisure or retirement. At that time they can be expanded and amplified to give
pleasurable employment for each day. There are so many things you have wanted to
do and places you have wanted to see. Your leisure time then will not present the
question, “What will I do with my time?”, but rather it will be, “Where has my
leisure time gone?” There are friends to visit, books to read, church meetings,
lectures, concerts to attend, travelling to do, and a hobby to enjoy. Your leisure time
can be completely filled with happiness, if properly planned.
These interests may or may not bring a financial reward, that is not as important as
the joy of doing something one wants to do, even if it is only for the sake of
satisfying one’s own curiosity about the world in which we live.
Friends can mean much to us in our pursuit of happiness. We all prize our friends
and could not live without them. We enjoy their company in good times and count
on them in times of need. But our closest, friends cannot guarantee our happiness.
They are human as we are, with all the frailties and ambitions that we have. Yet we
must not despise the fellowship of men, for that fellowship may help us over a rough
place on life’s highway. We, as Masons, know this to be true.
Perhaps faith, faith in something greater, something higher than we are, faith in God,
the Creator of all things, the Supreme Architect of the Universe, can be the answer to
our pursuit. Our faith need not mean that we must retire from the world and wrap
ourselves up in a veil of isolation to obtain our happiness. We must continue to live
in the world of today, and, with faith, find joy in the present and hope in the future.
The Philosophers of old sought for the philosopher’s stone to find the answer to
man’s destiny. We, as Masons, have sought for the Word, the Truth, the Light which
will bring us the answer to all our questions and provide us with peace and wisdom.
Each one has come to the end of his quest to find that happiness comes from within
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and not without. It rests on faith, faith in God, who is the giver of all happiness that
is real and lasting.
Fame, fortune and all material things are the gift of God, but we must not permit
them to take God’s place in our lives and become gods before Him. They are not, in
themselves, evil or mere vanities of life. They can be useful only when we can
dispense with all of them, and still find happiness in our faith. God intended man to
enjoy his brief day on earth. By faith we can have it so.
Each day is a test of our faith. Any philosophy of life that does not prepare us for
every day living, for old age, for death, and for life beyond the grave can bring only
disillusionment. Any philosophy of life that does not prepare us for the inevitable
stress, the difficulties and tragedies of life is in vain. We must build a philosophy
that will enable us to meet life as we find it, with a firm belief that there is a guiding
hand that will eventually bring us the real happiness we seek.
HOW CAN WE ACHIEVE THIS GOAL OF HAPPINESS?
We must create our happiness out of the environment in which we live, out of the
trials, the difficulties, the daily round of duties as well as the pleasures and fun,
much as the bee seeks honey not only from the flowers of the fields, but also from
plants we call weeds. It must be created out of the everyday happenings, the little
things that go to make up the life we live day by day. We depend too much on the
great events, the unusual happenings, such as graduation from school, a new job,
marriage, or a trip to some distant land, to bring happiness instead of finding
enjoyment in the small things that happen to us in each day as we go along through
life. Some find happiness in the song of a bird, the antics of a playful squirrel, or the
woods in the afternoon with the rays of sunshine streaming through the leaves. It is
these little things that count.
Happiness does not depend so much where you are as how you look on life. It is a
matter of viewpoint. Some look down and see only the dirt and squalor, the evil of
life, the difficulties and poverty, and all that is dark and hopeless. Others look up and
see the mountains in the distance all clothed in a beautiful green mantle of trees, the
blue sky above with fleecy clouds passing by, and then up to the glory of all that is
good and wonderful.
One day a man, passing a new building under construction, stopped to ask three men,
who were working there, this question: “What are you doing?” The first answered
quickly, “I’m digging a ditch.” The second stopped and then said, “I’m putting in
time until I can find a better job.” The third, looking up for a moment, replied, “I’m
building a cathedral.” It is all a matter of viewpoint. We must do what is before us;
what we are doing today is our very life. We must make it something fine and worth
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while. We must learn to look through the darkest night and see the rays of the sun of
the new day. Too often we have our eyes fixed solely on the future, and forget to see
or look on the world as it lies around us.
We must resolve that today is the day, not some day in the future when we will have
our happiness. Too often we forget that the only moment of time we can be sure of is
now. We must live this very day, giving our attention, our enthusiasm and our
energy to this day in which we are living, and not let our anxiety for tomorrow rob
us of our happiness today. For tomorrow is the day we worried about yesterday and
all is well. At times it will take every ounce of strength to master this day, but it will
not be wasted if it brings us the joy of living. One cannot live in the past, for it is
gone beyond recall; one cannot live in the future, for it is not yet here; one can only
live today, and this day well lived can be a day of real happiness.
Today is a bit different from yesterday, our ideas are fresher and newer than they
were a day ago. With each new day we receive the supreme gift of life, the most
precious gift that the Creator can bestow. Each day brings a challenge to make it a
better day than yesterday.
The opportunity is ever present. But we must be prepared or it will be lost. It is now,
not some day in the future when we have a new job, more money, more leisure, or
have achieved the goal of our ambitions. It is now.
There can be no happiness without faith. Happiness is like unto the Kingdom of
Heaven, it is to be found within us, not in some far distant land. We must develop
that depth of feeling to help us understand that deep within us is the one who counts,
the one is you and me, whose happiness comes with the knowledge of our unity with
Him. This inward joy is not at the mercy of outward circumstances, because it is
based on faith, a faith that gives meaning to life, and brings peace and contentment,
even in times of suffering and sorrow.
But the goal cannot be reached without effort. There must be a desire and a will to
succeed. A man can travel only as far as his desire leads him. It must be strong
enough to brush aside every obstacle. If there is a will, a way can always be found.
With faith all things are possible.
Happiness is only half won unless we share it with others. Complete happiness
comes as a reward for services to others, for the performance of our duty to our
fellowmen, for our efforts to make the world a better place for each and all of us to
live in. We must be ever ready to help the needy.
From all these we build a philosophy of life, that by faith and vision we can make
our leisure time a time of happiness and usefulness, even if it is only an hour away
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from our work, a holiday, or a time which we have looked forward to when our work
is done. There is a joy in simply being alive, to be able to find happiness in the little
things of life as we go along life’s journey, giving us the opportunity to share our
happiness with others. This happiness we can have today, happiness that is ours, ours
to enjoy, and ours to share.
THE MISSION OF MASONRY
Masonry has long recognised that men need guidance in their search for light.
Through the years our Fraternity has presented the ideal of perfect manhood, the
ideal man, true to God, to his country, to his neighbour and to himself. It has been a
great spiritual guide to the higher and nobler concepts of life. Masonry has opened
the door to happiness for many men. It can mean much to you.
Masonry is a philosophy of life, teaching equality of men, a belief in the one true and
living God, in the resurrection and in life everlasting. It is not a religion as it has no
creed or dogma, yet its precepts and principles are based on the great truths found in
the Volume of the Sacred Law we place on our Altar. Masonry is next to the church
in the building of men’s character, to make better men, the best that each man can
become, the better to serve his fellowmen.
It presents a fellowship not equalled in any other organization. In Masonry a man is
not regarded for his wealth or rank, but only for the fine qualities of his character,
and for his desire to be of service to mankind. It is a fellowship, however, that we are
inclined to overlook in these days when each hour is crowded with the demands of
work and pleasure. It is time that we gave more thought to this wonderful fellowship,
so generously given and so easily lost. With our meetings so often crowded with
ritualistic work we are prone to neglect the very purpose for which we are taking
men into our Fraternity. Time must be set aside for the enjoyment of that fellowship.
The ritualistic ceremony is simply a means of bringing the Brother into our
fellowship. Let us not forget this important fact.
To be worthy of this fellowship we ourselves must be friendly. We must have a
sincere regard for our Brethren, showing a sympathetic understanding of their way of
life, holding a tolerant judgment of their actions and expressing our outspoken praise
for their service, while they are still in our midst. Let us give our earnest attention to
this important Tenet of our Fraternity. Brotherly Love is more than just an empty
phrase, to be heard and soon forgotten. It has a most significant meaning for each of
us who are united by this fellowship in the bonds of a declared faith in God.
More and more Grand Lodges are coming to the realization that their members must
be taught something of the history, traditions and purposes of our great Order, the
meaning of its symbols, an explanation of its tenets and precepts; all are necessary
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for a proper understanding of the place of Masonry in our lives and in the world
about us. With this knowledge and understanding Masonry can do much to advance
this fellowship amongst men of all nations and bring happiness into their lives.
With shorter working hours today, men have more leisure time to devote to the
interests of Masonry, to take a greater part in that glorious fellowship that is theirs
for the asking, and to attain that happiness which is the object of our search.
Masonry has another mission that could mean much to our nation and to the world in
which we live. It could become one of the greatest forces for good in the world
today, to make life worth while, and to bring happiness to the people of this earth.
There are nearly 4,000,000 Masons in the United States alone. Just think what a
great influence Masonry could have if all of us carried out into the world the great
precepts taught us at the Altar, and made them part of our lives. What a change it
could bring to our homes, our communities, and to our nation. I do not mean that
Masonry, as an organization, should take a stand for some particular programme, but
for each member to so live and act that his light would shine before men as a living
example of true manhood. Then justice and equality would prevail.
There can be no progress without faith, there must be a spiritual enlightenment in
men. We must carry the torch to spread this faith, to banish fear and to reverse the
trend to materialism that now menaces the peace of the world.
Perhaps the story of the Transfiguration in the Volume of Sacred Law may suggest a
way. As we read the account of this unusual and momentous event, we find Peter,
James and John ascending a high mountain with Jesus. Reaching the top, they knelt
to pray, and then, before their eyes, they saw Jesus transfigured, his raiment white
and shining, and his face as radiant as the sun, and they beheld him talking with
Moses and Elijah. Peter was so overwhelmed that he wanted to build three
tabernacles on the mountain top to commemorate the occasion, and to relive the
rapture and ecstasy of that inspiring moment. But Jesus said no, and brought them
down from the mountain to mix with the world. There was work to be done, there
was a message to be brought to the world. As Masons we have found the Light at our
Altar. Let us not make our asylum a retreat from the world with our Altar as a
tabernacle where we may worship by ourselves. We, too, must carry forth the Light
to bring happiness and peace to the world. This is the challenge to every Mason in
the world today. Let us not fail.
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“THE MISSION OF MASONRY IN A CHANGING WORLD”
by M.W.Bro. Francis J. Scurry, M.D.,
Past Grand Master, Grand Lodge of Arkansas, U.S.A.
Studies for the New Freemason.
This article was scanned, prepared and type-set for this booklet by Bro. J. Stewart
Donaldson, Secretary of Hawick Lodge No.111 for the education of the enquiring
Freemason. Where any typo errors occur, I apologise.