Things have been quiet on the inter-webs in recent weeks as we start the slow descent down the calendar page to the holidays. Especially as most of north America is under the first major winter storm, I write this as my balmy So Cal thermometer outside tells me its 33 degrees (appropriate, I know).
A question someone asked me recently is if Masonry is relevant today in this age before I could break into the usual elevator speech, I paused for a second to think about the question, and further, to consider the implication of the immediate yes that was already starting to roll off my tongue.
Just like the weather, relativity changes with time, activity, and interest. Relativity seems to go up and down running hot at times as some controversy or exciting event is taking place, or cold in periods of little activity or action. That ultimately, relevance is relative. And in those nanoseconds of answering the question, the thought went to the higher outlook to ask is it relative in an age that itself questions its own relativity.
With so many variables, how can one possible answer (let alone assimilate) the question. Relative is relative. Each individual member, through his own thoughts and outlook, holds the answer. Is it relative, and if so why? But, if your mind drifted to no, then why not? Because it is a member run organization (like the Boy Scouts) relativity is a self generated energy, that is as imaginative as a lodge (or an individual member) can be, then so too will the fraternity be just as imaginative.
Relative becomes our relativity.
A very good friend and brother said to me once that to be interesting you need to be interested, and this applies to all aspects of life, home, work, family, faith, and fraternity. Imagine your relative shift with a subtle adjustment of interest. The relativity of the idea takes on the qualities of your outlook, relativity matches your relativity to the subject.
The short answer to the question asked of me was yes, Freemasonry is relative, for the simple reason that I see it as so. It’s important to me and vary valuable, and that my relativity of it is relevant.
