spreading the light
Spreading the Light
through Interactive Dynamic Freemasonry
What follows is an abridgement of an address given by MWB Robert B. Heyat, PGM, at the XI World Conference of Masonic Grand Lodges which took place May 12- 15, 2011 and was hosted by the National Grand Lodge of Colombia at Cartagena de Indias.
M
y Dear Brother Masons, I take this opportunity to share with you my thoughts on the matter of where our Craft is at this point of time and whether or not the Craft is facing a crisis. Based on my own experience since my initiation 45 years ago, I venture to say that I am extremely disappointed that the Craft, including myself, has failed to turn our ideals into reality. The question is why and how this situation has come about? In reviewing the early years of Freemasonry, we see that the leaders of the communities and societies were mostly the elite and high caliber men, not necessarily powerful and wealthy, but certainly intellectuals, scholars, scientists and high quality professionals, who could individually influence their societies and help shape the destiny of their people. The result was the great revolutions and democratic advances in the 18th and 19th century in Europe, South America and the United States of America.
The Voice of Freemasonry
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gradually withdrew from getting involved in the affairs of their societies, and instead become more and more inward focused, turning lodges into either exclusive clubs or an oasis for lay men to gather for fellowship in their closed fraternal temples.
Under the paradigm of not engaging in politics, we have avoided engagement of any kind in social issues that affect our societies. Such an attitude has alienated our Craft from the society and has rendered us irrelevant in our communities.
Unfortunately, over time, the Masonic institutions became passive and stagnant and changed in character and mode of operation, which in turn affected their leadership and the attitude of their members, failing to understand the true meaning of Freemasonry and of being a Mason. They ceased to translate the Masonic ideas and ideals, taught in their rituals, into action. Masonic lodges, Grand Lodges, and the individual Masons within them,
Robert B. Heyat Past Grand Master
The progress of democracy and the growth of political parties have actually had an adverse effect on the activities of our Fraternity. Under the paradigm of not engaging in politics, we have avoided engagement of any kind in social issues that affect our societies. Such an attitude has alienated our Craft from the society and has rendered us irrelevant in our communities. As a result, Freemasonry is looked upon as an archaic exclusive institution, with weird rituals and secretive operations. The fraternity has, for the most part, completely dissociated itself from civil society and all that affects daily life in our communities.
There was a time that many men of high quality, young and old, eagerly yearned to join Freemasonry in order to benefit from its teachings and enact its ideals not only in their lives, but also in others’ by spreading light to all corners of the world. There was a time, not too long ago, when many of the justices of the U.S. Supreme Court, members of Congress and men of high standing, both in public and private sectors, in the United States were Freemasons, and proud of it. But now, very few Free-
