The Power of Love

The Rev. Canon Michael M. Marrett, Fiat Lux Lodge No. 1717

Editors Note: This meditation was delivered on Sunday, June 3, 2007 at the Masonic Family Day of Thanksgiving Service of the Grand Lodge of the District of Columbia, at the Scottish Rite Center, Washington, DC

May the Words of my Lips and the Meditations of when they are uprooted from their homes and our Hearts be acceptable in Thy sight, Oh God, forced to flee. our Strength and our Redeemer. Amen There is a crisis in civilization which can only be Today, we meet as members of one of the truly countered by a new civilization of LOVE, founded great international organizations in the world - the on the universal values of peace, justice and libFreemasons. Accompanied by members of our erty. families, invited guests and friends, we gather to There are many who claim that religion is part of thank Almighty God for His countless Blessings to the problem - blocking humanity's way to peace us in the past, and to plead for their continuity in and prosperity. It is our duty as religious people to the present and future years demonstrate that this is not ahead. the case. Oh God, our Help in ages “We must show how The use of religion to support past, violence is an abuse of reliOur Hope for years to come, religious belief inspires gion. Religion and peace go Be Thou our guide while life shall last peace, promotes justice, diction to wage war in the name of religion. The time is And our eternal home. NOW for religious leaders to Our Mediation today is entiand upholds liberty.” show that they are pledged to promote peace. We must tled - The Power of Love. show how religious belief From the First Letter of Paul to inspires peace, promotes justhe church in Corinth, Chapter 13 and verse 13 - tice, and upholds liberty. we read these words: together. It is a blatant contraThose of us who are Christians believe that there is And now abideth Faith, Hope, Love, these three, HOPE, and that this HOPE is a gift of the Holy Spirit but the greatest of these is LOVE. who calls us to widen our horizons, to look beyond As we survey the situation of humanity, we see our own personal needs, to the unity of the whole great technological advances. However, these are human family. not accompanied by similarly great spiritual and What is known to us as the Golden Rule — has moral progress. We see also, a great gap between existed in many religions for thousand of years, the rich and the poor - at the level of individuals and should be the norm for all areas of life - for and nations. families, communities, races, nations and reliWe also read of the many conflicts continually gions. Here are samples from five of the major breaking out around the world - wars between religions: nations. Wars that linger like festering sores and From the UDANA VARGA of Buddhism: cry out for healing that never seem to come. Even“Hurt not others in ways that you yourself would tually, it is the weakest who suffer most, especially find hurtful.”

From MATTHEW’S GOSPEL of Christianity: We must look for ways of growing in Love. One “All things whatsoever you would that men should do to you, do even so to them.” way may be through the study of a different religion — not a study that simply looks for patterns and archetypes, but a study that seeks to peneFrom MAHABHARATA of Hinduism: trate the heart of each tradition with empathy. On every continent people Jesus. There is a common recognition that compassion, mercy and loving kindness are the qualities we wish to imitate as humans reaching towards transcendence. There should be a desire to understand (insofar as “This is the sum of duty: Do naught unto others is possible) how the world is seen through the which would cause you pain if done to you.” eyes of that tradition. A reading from the SUNNAH of Islam: We should learn to love as John of the Cross (a “No one of you is a believer until he desires for his Christian Mystic) tells us: “by putting love where brother that which he desires for himself.” there is no love, by being loving, even when others are not loving, by seeking to understand, even Finally, the TALMUD of Judaism: when others do not understand.” "What is hateful to you, do not to your fellow man. “By doing this we will become a home for the This is the Law: All the rest is commentary.” stranger, a balm to the suffering, a tower of And now abideth Faith, Hope, Love, these three strength for the fugitive. We will be eyes to the but, the greatest of these is LOVE - the amazing blind and a guiding light unto the feet of the erring. truth is that LOVE is possible in spite of the differAn ornament to the countenance of truth. A crown ences that exist among the religions. These to the brow of fidelity. A pillar of the temple of rightdifferences are real and will not go away. We eousness. A breath of life to the body of mankind. should not attempt to An ensign of the hosts of jusignore them and pretend tice. A luminary above the that all religions are homogeneous, THEY ARE NOT. “On every continent people horizon of virtue. A dew to the soil of the human heart. An ark However, the people who practice these religions do have leaned the language on the ocean of knowledge. A gem on the diadem of wisdom. share a common language A shining light in the firmament of love and compassion. of love-whether from of your generation and a fruit have learned the language the arms of a mother, This dialogue of LOVE is the of love — whether from the first step needed for what has arms of a mother, or the gentle wisdom of grand or the gentle wisdom of been envisioned as "the Civilization of Love." Love gives parents, or the companionship of a friend. It should grand parents, or the new eyes. Let us love so that we may have new eyes. Eyes come as no surprise to that see into the hearts of our learn of the beautiful words of love and compassion companionship of a friend.” brothers and sisters with love. Eyes that can see in the future that emerge from the differof a civilization of love. ent traditions - from the And now abideth Faith, Hope, Love, these three, Karuna of the Buddhists to the Agape taught by but, the greatest of these is LOVE. Amen upon the tree of humanity.”