Bonds and Shackles

Pythagoras speaks on this from his place in our history. 'All bonds without friendship (are) shackles'.  If we thought and functioned as a single structure, I doubt we would struggle with such things as tensions. In an ideal world, friendly men would be just that-friendly .: no conflict.  How embarrassingly impractical. This is a prescription for subservience. Ugh.  We are by far, beautifully complex. And within that complexity, tensions occur naturally. And we, being proudly individual, carry on expressing opinions that are partials without ever expressing that idea. When we pick up partials and treat them as wholes, that is mischievious of us.  The mischief fades quickly when we observe and begin understanding. Trouble yourself if you choose, but it is illusion not reality that triggered your emotion. I know what lies behind the magicians curtain but I still like sleight of hand, sawing the lady in half, making rabbits disappear. What would a friend do? He would think kindly of his brother. Disagreeing with a smiling voice is gentle and influential. Ritual helps us by bringing to our attention an expectation we will not act rashly, we will be in control of our emotions.  Yet it respects the need for each man to discover on his own, the mechanics.  Dad can hold on to your bicycle seat running along side only so long. At the moment he lets go, you and I learn by discovering how inertia works.  The hand is off the seat brethren.  What are you discovering? Too many of us know better what we should do to protect the harmony of a lodge.  Too many hold back. Friends would protect harmony with reminders, with examples and with fair minded judgement. To execute masonry fully, we need the cooperation of each member, He needs to bring his talents and a willingness to adapt. His effort is to routinely employ temperance. Without it, music is discordant. A good idea will fail when offered at the wrong time.