dfreybur
Premium Member
Presented extemporaneously to Victory 1160 GLofTX 11 Feb 2014. This is a best recollection of what I said.
Worshipful Master, Wardens, Brethren,
The degrees of Masonry start at the story of the building of King Salomon's Temple. Then other Masonic content moves on past the completion of the Temple telling the rest of its history. The continued story of the Temple is used to illustrate our values.
(My original intention was to cite a few lines from the long form of the second degree lecture but we were open in the first so I skipped that).
The first temple was destroyed in a war. The second temple was built in a war. The second temple was also destroying in a war. Today all that remains of the second temple is one wall and nothing at all remains of the physical parts of the first temple. We tell the stories of the building and destruction of the temples to teach how much we value architecture, art, monuments and achievements.
I recently saw the movie "The Monuments Men". It's a war movie with an all-star cast and I didn't notice any obvious Masonic symbols in it. Yet because of the story told in the movie it was Masonic throughout. We have a type of secret that we can shout from the rooftops and it still remains secret. That we treat each other as brothers is one of the secrets of this type. There is no "how" we just do it. We could stand on the roof and shout it out that we treat each other as brothers. That we value architecture, art, monuments and achievements is also like that. We have commemorative plaques all over the place.
The movie is about a team that was assigned to preserve cathedrals, historical buildings and arts. In one scene the team delivers orders from the Joint Chiefs of Staff to an artillery colonel and he complains "I'm not supposed to bomb anything old". When the Nazis conquered most of Europe they collected art from private collections and public museums and started shipping it to Germany. They hid the art away as they started losing the war. Most of the movie was about finding this art, recovering art, returning art to its rightful owners. There was also a competing Soviet team that was also working to get the art from the Nazis.
The movie was about a historical team that actually existed and that actually lost lives trying to save the art. The art we're talking about here is Michelangelos, Rembrandts and so on. From masterpieces to works so amazing they take your breath away just to think that something so magnificent could be made by a fellow human.
A question that kept getting repeated in the movie was if it was worth losing lives over art, and it's a question that is not answered until just before the credits start rolling.
When there is a disaster, fire or accident we often state that "Things can be replaced, people can not". Yet we value art and architecture. Is it really true that people are more valuable to us than art? I try to picture myself in a situation where if I gave my life in the attempt I might save a Michelangelo statue, Rembrandt painting, a first edition copy of Newton's Principia or a cathedral from destruction. Would it be in line with Masonic values to do so? I think so. We teach a set of higher values. Would I want to give my life to save such an achievement that is a thing not a person? I would. Would I have the courage or reaction time to actually do it? I don't know and I hope I am never tested in that way.
Human achievement is at the foundation of our culture. It has value. The greater the achievement the greater the value. Some objects have so much value they are worth our lives to preserve. I think our lessons teach that. The movie "The Monuments Men" is about that. As you watch the movie think about its deep Masonic content and the fact that non-Masons in the audience see the movie without seeing its Masonic content, yet the Masonic content is there from start to stop for eyes that know what to see.
Thank you, worshipful.
Worshipful Master, Wardens, Brethren,
The degrees of Masonry start at the story of the building of King Salomon's Temple. Then other Masonic content moves on past the completion of the Temple telling the rest of its history. The continued story of the Temple is used to illustrate our values.
(My original intention was to cite a few lines from the long form of the second degree lecture but we were open in the first so I skipped that).
The first temple was destroyed in a war. The second temple was built in a war. The second temple was also destroying in a war. Today all that remains of the second temple is one wall and nothing at all remains of the physical parts of the first temple. We tell the stories of the building and destruction of the temples to teach how much we value architecture, art, monuments and achievements.
I recently saw the movie "The Monuments Men". It's a war movie with an all-star cast and I didn't notice any obvious Masonic symbols in it. Yet because of the story told in the movie it was Masonic throughout. We have a type of secret that we can shout from the rooftops and it still remains secret. That we treat each other as brothers is one of the secrets of this type. There is no "how" we just do it. We could stand on the roof and shout it out that we treat each other as brothers. That we value architecture, art, monuments and achievements is also like that. We have commemorative plaques all over the place.
The movie is about a team that was assigned to preserve cathedrals, historical buildings and arts. In one scene the team delivers orders from the Joint Chiefs of Staff to an artillery colonel and he complains "I'm not supposed to bomb anything old". When the Nazis conquered most of Europe they collected art from private collections and public museums and started shipping it to Germany. They hid the art away as they started losing the war. Most of the movie was about finding this art, recovering art, returning art to its rightful owners. There was also a competing Soviet team that was also working to get the art from the Nazis.
The movie was about a historical team that actually existed and that actually lost lives trying to save the art. The art we're talking about here is Michelangelos, Rembrandts and so on. From masterpieces to works so amazing they take your breath away just to think that something so magnificent could be made by a fellow human.
A question that kept getting repeated in the movie was if it was worth losing lives over art, and it's a question that is not answered until just before the credits start rolling.
When there is a disaster, fire or accident we often state that "Things can be replaced, people can not". Yet we value art and architecture. Is it really true that people are more valuable to us than art? I try to picture myself in a situation where if I gave my life in the attempt I might save a Michelangelo statue, Rembrandt painting, a first edition copy of Newton's Principia or a cathedral from destruction. Would it be in line with Masonic values to do so? I think so. We teach a set of higher values. Would I want to give my life to save such an achievement that is a thing not a person? I would. Would I have the courage or reaction time to actually do it? I don't know and I hope I am never tested in that way.
Human achievement is at the foundation of our culture. It has value. The greater the achievement the greater the value. Some objects have so much value they are worth our lives to preserve. I think our lessons teach that. The movie "The Monuments Men" is about that. As you watch the movie think about its deep Masonic content and the fact that non-Masons in the audience see the movie without seeing its Masonic content, yet the Masonic content is there from start to stop for eyes that know what to see.
Thank you, worshipful.