Considerable confusion may be avoided by keeping clearly in mind the fourfold use which Masonry makes of the
metaphor of architecture.
- The universe is viewed as one vast structure, which owes its existence to the Supreme Architect.
- Man, too, is a builder. He is engaged in the construction of personal character. For this sublime task he is supplied with abundant materials, worthy patterns and explicit instructions.
- Man is also commissioned to build an ideal social structure. The nature of the social order depends on the quality of the individuals composing it. Masons must, therefore, qualify as “living stones” of society to contribute to its betterment.
- There is still another structure that Masons are engaged in building – “that house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.”
To keep these different projects clearly distinct is to avoid confusion. For the present, we must confine ourselves to the personal edifice. Masons are under obligation to build out of the material at their disposal a character worthy of the fraternity whose confidence and fellowship they enjoy. This is no simple undertaking. Human personality is a compound of many elements which, if effectively used, make for harmony and happiness;
conversely, for discord and grief.
