It is this time of year when I stop and take notice of a certain change in the atmosphere around me. When I accidentally cut off a stranger on the road I do not get back the raised fist or digital sign language of contempt. No blaring horns, no verbalizing scorn with four letter words, no cold shoulder darken my path. Instead I am greeted with a smile and best wishes by perfect strangers; women open doors for me and even dogs wag their tail at my presence.
It’s Christmas and the spirit of the holiday has taken hold of most homo sapiens.
Chris Thomas in an article titled, ORIGINS OF THE CHRISTMAS SPIRIT, Having A Real Spirit of Christmas Throughout The Year, quotes Thomas S. Monson:
“Giving, not getting, brings to full bloom the Christmas spirit. Enemies are forgiven, friends remembered, and God obeyed. The spirit of Christmas illuminates the picture window of the soul, and we look out upon the world’s busy life and become more interested in people than things.”
Thomas goes on to say:
“Having such a spirit doesn’t have to be something that is seen or noticed by everyone. It can be as simple as continuing with one’s work while the teacher’s not in the room or conducting oneself at work as if they were being watched, even while the boss is away.”
“Philippians chapter 2, verses 3-5 state, ‘Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too.’
“Note that these verses don’t encourage one to belittle themselves but rather to recognize the worth of others as well as oneself. The spirit of Christmas truly involves being a character with integrity, one that is selfless and humble and above all, loves.”
Our Daily Bread, describes the Christmas Spirit this way:
J. I. Packer goes to the heart of this matter in his book Knowing God. He writes, “We talk glibly of the Christmas spirit, rarely meaning more by this than sentimental jollity . . . . It ought to mean the reproducing in human lives of the [temperament] of Him who for our sakes became poor, . . . the spirit of those who, like their Master, live their whole lives on the principle of making themselves poor—spending and being spent—to enrich their fellowmen, giving time, thought, care, and concern to do good to others . . . in whatever way there seems need.”
These descriptions, this Christmas Spirit are how a Mason governs himself 365 days a year. Oh there are a few bad apples in the pile, I guess. But by and large a Mason is or strives to be honest, kind, giving, patient, understanding, tolerant, patriotic, gentle, forgiving and charitable. These are attributes which puts a Mason in a year round Christmas Spirit.
I am often asked what effect does becoming a Mason have on the individual. And my answer is that one becomes a new person, with a new outlook on life. Masonry is a way of life but that way of life is not limited to a certain time of year. That is really what it means to become a Mason.
When you enter that door for the first time you are in darkness, seeking light. When you have found light you have started your rebirth into the world of constant learning and constant striving to polish that rough ashlar. Freemasonry is a journey not a destination but it is the process of performing a new way of life that makes a man a Mason.
Remember that spirit that followed immediately after 9/11? We were all one, united in one purpose, one spirit, one common bond.
From my home state of Massachusetts, The Gloucester Daily Times put it this way:
“There was a true spirit of camaraderie, a sense that we were all in this together, all on the same side, from our own neighborhoods, throughout our local communities, and across the country”
But then the newspaper goes on to lament:
“Sadly, that spirit has long since been lost over the last seven years; in fact, it was lost within a few months after the attacks. Unfortunately, we now seem as divided — politically, economically and ideologically — as we have even been. And that’s not only on the national level.”
Outside the Craft, the spirit is short lived. It is there after some national traumatic event; it is there at Christmas time but it soon fades and soon we are back to a dog eat dog world. Not so with a Mason. His world is Christmas time year round.
So let us salute the peace, harmony and tolerance that Masons throughout the world contribute to their world and everybody else’s world.
AND A HO, HO, HO TO Y’ALL!
Perhaps you should search for Awad Khoury’s 1929 publishing of ‘The Dissipation of the Darkness’ in English, Arabic, French or Hebrew.This verifies the Origin of Masonry, the date it was founded and the original 9 founders. It is based on a manuscript all the way back to the original Hiram Abiud (Abiff). This “Mysterious Force” was a reverse to what Jesus called the Holy Ghost. I’ll wait till you read it to let the answer blow away your mind at the purpose of it all.