| Re: In Whom Do I Put My Trust?
Dale,
My understanding is that the Book of Sacred Law is not always the Bible. In some jurisdictions it is the Koran, in others the sacred book of that nation/people or tribe. I believe it is appropriate for a candidate or a brother to request that their obligations be taken on the scriptures befitting that candidate. If there is a Bible on your lodge's altar, it is most likely there because you live in a place that is predominantly Judeo-Christian.
The "G" over the Oriental Chair is nowhere - to my awareness at least - ever definitively defined. We know that atheists are not allowed to petition a lodge so the G may allude to deity. However, I personally, would stand out for "Geometry". Bottom line is that not every detail needs definitive clarification. If our fraternity is focused on moral teaching through symbol - then perhaps Masonry is more like poetry that calls up something from deep in our beings rather than an answer solely for our minds to comprehend. There is always mystery in Symbol..."G" is a symbol and most likely not an Initial!
Belief in Deity calls me as a Mason to look beyond myself. Certainly none of us wields all the power and control over the universe. Belief in Deity therefore preserves Freemasonry from merely being another "do-good society" where we all pull ourselves up by the bootstraps. Freemasonry for me unites me with a band of brothers who even when we are in harmony are not completely able to alter and adjust the world in which we live. Strength is not found in numbers but in a common awareness of strength and our weakness. Our brotherhood binds us together in both success and failure - enabling each of us to be masters and servants in a world where both are needed.
Is any of this helpful? provocative?
Bill Peake |