Short Talk Bulletin December 1979
Music on this page is: concerto for clarinet in bb movement No. 3 rondo allegro by Brother Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
A PLEA FOR UNDERSTANDING
This Short Talk Bulletin has been adapted from a talk given to Walton
Lodge No. 559, Walton, New York, by a Past Master of that Lodge who
served as Director of Ceremonies (1974) in the Grand Lodge of New
York, R. W. Brother Fordham D. Tabor. We thank R. W. Brother Tabor
for his permission to use this material as a Short Talk Bulletin.
A young college student visited one of his former high school
teachers asking that he participate in a survey that the college was
conducting. His former teacher was flattered and readily agreed. The
first question, "What do you consider the most serious problem facing
our society today", started the wheels of the teacher's mind in
motion. Just for a fleeting moment, he recalled the story of the
young man who had asked a sage, "What can I do to make this a better
world?" To which the sage replied,
"Reform yourself, and there will then be one less scoundrel in the
world." But, no, this young fellow doesn't deserve a flippant
answer....
"The most serious problem" ....! There are a number of problems that
readily come to mind. The fuel crisis, inflation, the abusive use of
drugs, the racial struggle going on all over the land, the battle
against pollution of our environment, the rebellion of so many of our
people, both young and old, against established rules and morals, the
trend toward violence in our streets, the hippie and yippie
movements, the growing lack of respect for our flag and for the
rights of others, the economic crisis; these were some which came
immediately to mind. To choose the most serious was another matter
entirely. As he thought about these and other problems, attempting to
classify them by degree as to seriousness and importance, one element
was the lack of mutual understanding of the problems of others. The
problems are readily apparent to us, for we are confronted with them
daily in the newspapers, on radio and television, in our own
communities, perhaps in our own families. But how well do we
understand the people involved, their backgrounds, their ideas, the
thoughts that make them do as they do? This lack of mutual
understanding between peoples with differing ideas seems to be the
most serious problem facing our society today, not only in the United
States, but all over the
world.
The years-long and on-going struggle between Democracy and Communism
is engendered by basic differences in political ideology. Even in
times of apparent peace the struggle goes on under the surface,
erupting periodically in "Koreas" and "Vietnams." The long-standing
attempts of racial, ethnic and religious minority groups to attain
full recognition of their ideals, to gain equality of treatment and
to end discrimination against themselves, has reached full-blown
proportions today. Tragically, the trend is toward all kinds of
violence to attract attention to their causes and to force
acceptance of their goals.
The dissatisfaction of young people with our society as they find it,
and their search for some way to change it, for some way out of the
commonplace, has caused increasing numbers to experiment with all
kinds of drugs, often casually at first, then with increasing
frequency until the user is completely dependent upon his daily
doses. New York City, with over 100,000 drug addicts, is a startling
illustration of the depth and the scope of the problem. Many other
cities and even rural communities, both in America and elsewhere in
the world, present a similar picture, if not in numbers, at least in
the percentage of the population using drugs, with an attendant rise
in violence. In spite of the
publicity about contamination and pollution of our environment and
natural resources, we see
people casually throwing all kinds of trash and garbage in the
streets and on our highways, we
see the chimneys of industrial plants spewing their noxious fumes
into the air, and we see raw
sewage and other wastes dumped into our streams.
Today all over the world there is a moral decay through the common
acceptance of pornography, licentiousness and sexual freedom as a way
of life, almost to the point that we are reminded of the moral decay
which preceded the fall of the great Roman Empire. We can read daily
in almost any newspaper in the world of the violation of someone's
rights through murder, rape, robbery, mugging, or through
discrimination in employment and housing, or through betrayal of
trust, both in private industry and in the public domain.
As we examine those and other problems facing us, one common fact
stands out -- people generally, are all for themselves first. What
any man wants, he strives to attain by any means available, without
regard for anyone else. There is little, if any, thought for the
ideas, wants and needs of another. While we call this selfishness, it
is really caused by a lack of understanding.
There are exceptions, of course, to this picture. Americans working
under the banner of the Peace Corps in many countries trying to help
people better their way of life. Members of the Salvation Army who
are dedicated to lives of service in helping others. Nameless
volunteers in many countries working for better communities.
Outstanding individuals such as Dr. Billy Graham who is constantly
seeking to awaken people to the need for understanding each other
through preaching the lessons of
tolerance and brotherly love. The list of these people is long, too
long, for enumeration here. When we hear of these people we are
reminded of a ray of brilliant sunshine peering through dark clouds,
that there is hope for a way to solve our problems.
As Masons, we, too, have our part to play. Freemasonry teaches us
many great and glorious lessons. We have all learned the precepts of
brotherly love and of finding our way through life by the light we
find in that Great Light we place on our Altars. As we participate in
the several degrees of our Order, we experience great truths, we
learn lessons in many areas. So many lessons, in fact, that many of
us become confused by their very multitude. Yet, if we will only
search our memories and experiences, we will recall one great thought
appearing in every lesson, weaving through the entire Masonic
ritual like a golden thread in a tapestry, shining forth like a
blazing beacon over the stormy waters of the sea. That great thought
is Brother-hood, with all that the name implies.
To be a brother to a man means, among other things, basically to
understand him. We cannot accept a man as our brother unless we are
willing to understand him. Oh, we can call him "Brother," but to be a
brother in truth we must understand him, we must be willing to see
and overlook his transgressions, to applaud his successes as our own,
to enfold him in our arms and make him a part of ourselves. And we
must want him to do the same to us, for Brotherhood is not a one-way
street. No man is willing to
give of himself forever without receiving something in return. And
yet, if we will make the initial move, perhaps some little action,
perhaps only a cheery word of greeting, which will show him that we
do care about him, that we respect his rights as an individual, and
that we understand his needs, he will usually respond and we can both
walk that greatest of roads, that highway of Brotherhood, which is
paved with mutual understanding and respect.
As Masons, we recognize that with every right, whether it be human,
civil or moral, there are also certain obligations and duties to
which we are basically bound. Duties we owe to our country, to our
families, to our fellowman and to the Supreme Architect of the
Universe. In our pursuit of rights, we must circumscribe our desires
within the bounds of propriety, good taste and a sincere
understanding of the common good.
Masons alone cannot solve all the world's problems, nor can
Christians, Jews, Hindus, Moslems, or Buddhists. Nor can Americans,
Filipinos, Russians, nor can the people of any country do it all.
Neither whites nor blacks, browns, reds or yellows can find all the
answers. But each, as individuals, can do his part, and the efforts
of countless individuals, each imbued with the desire for mutual
understanding of each other, can amount to a relentless, driving force
strong enough to overcome any problem. We, especially, as Masons,
have the tools at hand in the teachings of our Order. We must learn
these lessons and we must study them until they become second nature
to us. Most of all, we must not leave them at the doors to our
lodges, but carry them with us into the outside world, where we must
practice them with precept and example in our daily lives, in
business, at recreation, in our family relationships, in our every
contact with others. Then, and only then, can we truly say we are
doing our part in striving for understanding of others.
This, then, is how he answered the young man's question. The most
serious problem facing our society today is the lack of mutual
understanding between people of all races, religions, and social and
ethnic backgrounds. In solving this problem we will have taken a
major step toward solving all of the other tremendous problems which
beset us. No one man or one group of men can do it all, but each
can do his part and make his impact on the total problem. We must
achieve understanding if our
world is to survive.
