FREEMASONRY TODAY
Some people may wonder what role Freemasonry can play in our time and what future there can be for an Order which does not interfere with politics, is detached from the profane world and, time and again, refers to a Tradition which is but vaguely defined.
Regular freemasonry does not act in the outside world, but the freemasons remain level-headed in this world, and many of them will be pleased that the psychic, moral and spiritual values they acquired through the initiation, influence their whole life. A real Masonic formation may alter the way of thinking and the aspirations of the initiate, induce him to assume certain responsibilities, give him strength and courage, open his heart and mind.
Modern man is struck by the crisis of the spirit and the material difficulties threatening the world. He is the prisoner of his uneasiness. Today's society prepares him only for actions and reactions. Many people lose heart in the face of this loss that finds expression a.o. in the continuous attempts at pulling down all established institutions and all acquired values, the desperation of many people, the spread of social problems undermining the social order.
In this world, Freemasonry can certainly play a role, because it appeals to the individual, to the real man and awakens in him hope, faith and love. In these days of loneliness and massification it has its reason for existence, because it creates living communities of people who are united by a common effort and mutual confidence.
And, whereas numerous respectable institutions are the victims of despair, Freemasonry keeps performing its work for the enlightenment and inspiration of men, who still dare believe that the human race has a cosmic destination and must fulfill a great task on the way of the Spirit.
Such striving is not out of fashion. On the contrary, it meets the needs of modern man, it meets the searching man. Freemasonry offers him a living message of hope and fraternity and shows him the means which will reveal inside him the secrets of faith, courage and love.
Without relying on dogmatism, prejudices or an ideology, Freemasonry indeed offers to the searching man the possibilities to realize his own destination and his quest for the Sacral.
This method presupposes a return to the Tradition. It does not mean that the Order should be directed to the past. It deals indeed with the Tradition that was, is and will be, this is a Tradition which at the same time strengthens the roots, feeds the inspiration and mobilizes modern man to overcome hard times and numerous obstacles.
Therefore Freemasonry is confident in its own destination. The clarity and the greatness of its striving open it up to a lot of people of goodwill. The latter should realize that Freemasonry was betrayed by the warped image that has been put up. Through its principles themselves the Order guarantees their freedom and independence.
A final reflection : like all ideals the masonic ideal is and remains a target. It is expressed in an often used image, namely that of the unfinished Temple. The Freemasons are well aware of the fact that they themselves are but humans with their defects and shortcomings. But what they have discovered in their Lodge is what leads them irresistibly to a deepening and a transcendence. The freemasons of our ORIENT have deliberately taken the way to the Light, through the darkness of the world. Their search is both their calling and their hope.
