Light
Media
Part of The Cabletow
- Title
- Light
- Creator
- Guillermo, Esteban
- Language
- English
- Year
- 1964
- Rights
-
- Fulltext
- LIGHT Bro. ESTEBAN GUILLERMO (90) "Let your light so shine before men, that they may sec your good works, r.nd glorify your Father which is in heaven.” (Matthew 5:16) Light (day) and darkness (night) are both created by God. Both were treated for the good of men. They are both very important. But Jesus here does not speak in terms of the light of day which everybody knows of: rather he is speaking on the mo ral and spiritual implications of this light. From lime imemorial men de viated irom the light of God be cause, according to the Gospel writ ten by John, although "light came into the world, men loved darkness rather than light because their deeds are evil” (John 3:19). God gave commandments. These command ments are to guide the conduct and behaviour of men. It tan be dis cerned from Jesus that wc were aware <>l this light — the commandments. They disobeyed. According to Isaiah, “All have gone astray. . . turned eve ryone his way." I bis was a mani festation of real disobedience in men. They disobeyed because they wanted to be free. But this freedom did not give them peace of mind and peace of life. Their freedom led them to waywardness and sin. It is lor this reason that God sent His on ly begotten Son to redeem men from their misdirected freedom. Jesus was sent by the Father to redirect men Irom waywardness and licentious life to the path of righteousness and to the light that leads to the throne ol His Father. Jesus, himself, made this statement: “I am the light of the world; he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life” (John 8:12). But many of those who heard him, par ticularly the Pharisees (there are still many Pharisees today) did not believe because they said to Jesus, "Thou bearcst record of thyself; thy record is not true.” These Pharisees have actually seen the many wonder fid things Jesus did. still they ques tioned his testimony of himsell. These are the people to whom Jesus made the statement, “They have eyes but cannot see.” These are the peo ple who are enjoying the light ol God, the privileges and opportuni ties of life but refuse to appreciate, simply because they are sell-conceited and egoists. 'Those who have been lighted from the teaching of Jesus and with ear nestness and sincerity followed this light became the beaconlight of dem ocratic civilization. They are res ponsible for the eradication of fana licism, wrong conception of right eousness, mistaken notion of God, self-righteousness and many hin drances to free social and religious intercourse of men. These men and women became tools for the educa tional, social, economic and spiritual progress in the world. Today they arc* scattered as missionaries in all June 1964 pails ol the world. Because the Bible is thc Great Light in Masonry, a Mason is expec ted to exude the light of morality, righteousness and all the noble tenets of Masonry. One does not get into the fraternity simply to be as sociated with some prominent people in the community or linked with big people in the country by being in the same boat with them. One does not enter the fraternity just to be come proficient in the ritual. AH these things are good. But a Mason is expected to become a better man. This Masonic statement presupposes that before entering the fraternity, he was good, but after he got into it, he has to make a great change in his moral and spiritual conduct. When this is done, then and only then, can one claim to be a tool for good. The Psalmist made a great" sworn statement when he said, “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path. I have sworn, and 1 will perform it, that I will keep thy righteous judgments” (Ps. 119:105106). This sworn statement is simi lar to the obligation taken by one when he is raised to the Sublime de gree. Has one who is raised to the Sublime degree tried to make a re study of the meaning of the obliga tions he well recited? It is only by this time of re-study of the contents of the obligations that one can ab sorb its meaning to himself. One who does this and lives its contents is likely to become a better man and consequently a light to his house hold, his associates and friends. The proficiency one made when lie was raised, is no doubt very good, but it does not indicate or guaranty the real Masonic behaviour and life. It is one thing to recite the ritual very well, it is another thing to live by what one recites well. The days are gone ol the dictum by the elders, “Follow my counsel and not my do ings." The counsel of the Son >s, “Learn of me: for I am meek and lowly in heart; and you shall find rest unto your souls.” What Jesus taught in words, he did in his daily life. His meekness and humil ity that the people saw were thc light that changed the deceitful life of Zaccheus, the criminal conduct ol Saul, the sinful moral conduct of the Sanmiaritan woman whom He met al thc well of Jacob, to mention on ly few. These and many others were witnesses to the great light they re ceived from the Master Teacher. In like manner, Masons, who are known as students and followers of the Holy Scriptures, should reflect in their life, in their associations good moral behaviour, and righteous life. They should be always guided by the Square and Compass visibly lucked at the outside front wall of their lodge which symbolizes the high and noble virtues of the frater nity. A Mason is expected to reflect all that arc in this symbol all the time and anywhere, whether alone or with mail) people, outside <>i inside the fraternity. There is an inborn tendency of men to love only those within the family circle and their kins, their friends, and those from whom they arc indebted of materials things. Jesus said, "If ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? Do not even thc publicans the same?’’ (Mat. 5: 16). In the old days, love was made very narrow because people were taught that way. They were taught to love only their neighTurn to pogo 421 410 The Cabletow LIGHT. . THE LEAVES. . (From page 408) bor; they were also taught to hate their enemy. But the love Jesus taught and practiced is "Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, pray lor them which despitefully use you and persecute you” (Matt. 5:1-1). This is a very hard teaching because people have been used to "an eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth,” and secondly, this is a new teaching and people are not open to new teach ings. Thirdly, people say, (even among Christians who may be Ma sons) they are still human, so they have to retaliate. When Jesus was persecuted and was subjected to niativ humiliations, instead of retali ating, he said, "Father, forgive them; lor they know not what they do,” Previous to his persecutions, he taught us to pray, "Forgive us our sins (debts), as we forgive those who have committed sins against us." It is the hard things and the new ones, particularly this new teaching of Jesus concerning love that makes this world of ours better. One whose love has no bounds, no limitations, ami complies with this new teathing becomes the child of God. As a child he inherits His blessings — His Kingdom of peace and love and the security of eternal life. Jesus challenges us to make use ol the light we received Irom the Father. Any good thing that we acquire if we do not make use of it will deteriorate. The light of the Scriptures is impar led to us lor good — to make men love each other, to hasten the coming ol the Kingdom of God in the world. We are challenged to make use ol this opportunity here and now while we have all the Iacilities, the matetials and all the limes we need be cause time will come when we shall be no mote. was walking alone incognito and dressed only in the rough garb of a mariner was confronted by him with tile tank he (governor-general) held, distinctions of rank were sharp in those days. When the gallant but humble governor-general replied that he was neither a simple alferez, a capitan, a com inandante, a general or a maestro de campo, the said Spaniard was quick on his feet and throwing away his cigar, saluted and exclaimed, “Pardon me, you must be his Excellency, himself". Salcedo, standing erect and unim pressed, said "Sir, you possess none cd our Castilian courtesy and God Almighty and the king together can not make you a gentleman, Good day”. Such words are full of sense as they came from the wrinkles of age and what one learned in youth endures like the engraving upon a rock. And may 1 add — Be your true self, not the self you think you are lor the leaves must fall like the house ol cards notwithstanding the good iife — spacious, opulent and unhuri ied. But such should not be a source of contempt and neither of hatred for the descendants of that haughty Spaniard unwittingly di iccted the course of religious his tory, as an ancient Spanish historian, Amador de los Rios, said "ten tribes ol Israel who settled at Toledo built the most beautiful synagogue, the Great Aljame that had been theirs since the Temple of Solomon” — a dazzling climax reached by Spain s royal splendor of the age long be fore our evangelization by her jarly conquistadores who, centuries later, in our state of darkness brought us "the first light” — “la primera luz” in Freemasonry. June 1964 421