St. Francis of Assisi used to say that “What a man is before God, that he is and nothing more”. St. Francis is undoubtably correct, but to look at the other side of the coin, “What a man is before God, that he is and nothing less”. Freemasonry teaches a person to respect the inherent divine dignity of others. Distinctions of rank may be necessary in secular society, but within a Masonic Lodge, all are equal, “Meeting on the level, and departing on the square”. Freemasonry, in its initial degrees, is a moral allegory. It uses the imagery of the tools used in building and construction to teach a moral message. Thus, you hear terms like, “Square conduct, level steps, and upright intentions”. On the surface this is simplistic, until one starts to meditate upon God and one’s life. The simple moral message of Freemasonry is profound, and cuts across the teachings off all the great religions. It recognises that all men and women are created equal, and in the end death— the great leveller of human existence—will reduce us all to the same state. What will matter is not how much money and power we have accumulated through life, but the way we have lived our life.
Lionel Boxer
