BUILDING CEMENT (excerpt) - In His Name

Good Day My Fellow Travelers,

Here's another small excerpt from my book, "Building Cement - Uncommonly Concrete Masonic Education - Volume 8" that was published back in November 2013.  It's from pages 136 through 139 in Chapter XIII - The Eighth - Philotheia. 

I hope that is may be thought-provoking for you.

Fraternally and Sincerely,

Bro. John S. Nagy

Building Better Builders Series Author

________________

 

In His Name
 

 ...There’s an ancient phrase used to refer to the manner or way that one human being manifested for another.  It was referred to as "in the name of".

Any time this phrase was used during days of old, it referred to doing things exactly the way another person would do things – as if you were indeed that other person for whom you were both taking action for and representing in total. 

Hence, when you did things "in the name of" anyone whom you referred to by that phrase, it indicated that you:

1)   are representing that person without waiver

2)   are doing something for someone else

3)   shall do it exactly the way that the person you represent would do it

To change even one thing in any of your actions -- even in the slightest way -- would mean you were no longer doing it "in the name of another." To alter your manner from their manner would mean you were "doing in your name" and in YOUR manner, not the other. 

To apply this Understanding to modern usage as it has manifested today and to honor fully the original intent that was first requested of us and that we willingly took responsibility for, we would have to act – as in "behaving internally and externally" – in the manner of the person we claimed our actions to be based on.  This means physically, emotionally, intellectually and spiritually we would have to take upon ourselves the manner and being of the person we claim we represent!  All aspects of our "being" must be "at one" with our representation to have the results we profess by our words.

It would also mean that the "being" is the focus and that the name itself is not important in and of itself.

The focus is upon who we claim to Be and the actions we take as a result of that claim.  They must be pure, unadulterated and unaltered from the actions which would be acted out by the one whom owned the name we say we are taking action for.  This is because all those who witnessed such manners shall instantly recognize whom the person is "being" and hence the name is of no importance -- only the "being", as in, who you truly “are”. 

Case in Point: When someone acts in the Manner of someone else, all those who see his Manner instantly knew Who He is.  His Name was not the focus; Only Who he is -- which is clearly recognized by many.

This elicits the following question: When you act in any one’s name, are you merely using his Name or are you using his Manner?  It is a most interesting of questions to Perpend and to do so at length. 

 Here's another one: When you act in anyone’s Name, does everyone whom you affect know to whom it is that you are acting for or do you have to tell them because they really can't tell from your actions who you are both representing and putting forth actions for?

...

 

BUILDING CEMENT (excerpt) - I AM

Good Day My Fellow Travelers,

Here's a small excerpt from my book, "Building Cement - Uncommonly Concrete Masonic Education - Volume 8" that was published back in November 2013.  It's from pages 133 through 135 in Chapter XIII - The Eighth - Philotheia. 

I hope that is may be of interest to you.

Fraternally and Sincerely,

Bro. John S. Nagy

Building Better Builders Series Author

________________

I Am

I’ve read a lot of speculation over the years over the statement, “I Am”, and its use as a name for God.  When I first was introduced to it, I admit that I didn’t give it much thought.  Over the years, I came across it again and again, and my response was the same.

At one point though, I was prompted to take interest in trying to make deeper sense of the statement and at a deeper level, so I explored the word, “am” as if it meant a state of being.  Once I Perpended it to my satisfaction, for a very long time I translated this statement to, “I Exist”. 

It wasn’t until I wrote this book and came across the Latin root, “am” that this changed for me.  I discovered that it means, “Love; Loving” and it is the antithesis of all that the word, “hate”, conveys. 

When this meaning is inserted, as in substituted for “am”, we get, “I Love”.
 

Transformation

 I’ve now adopted a different understanding of this statement and better comprehend when others share that they believe that God is Love.  This conveyance now has deeper meaning to me and all that I Am.

But, I know that it doesn’t and shouldn’t end there.  I Am also exemplifies something far more than just Recognizing and Understanding what it means or implies.   It is not just something that is Symbolic or a phrase that can and shall be thrown into conversations as simple discourse fodder. 

Examining it further and deeper reveals it is a manner or way of “Being”.  Furthermore, when all other alternatives of Being are examined, one could very comfortably come to an assuring conclusion that Love is Supreme Being  when manifested.  To manifest such a Supreme Being, one must embrace and Be  the very manner and very way that it denotes – Love!

This insight led me to further speculation upon the actual Purpose of the Work toward which Freemasonic Ritual directs us.  Is it to simply make us Better men?  Is it to help us Better fit into the Fraternity of men?  Or is it to focus us continuously upon Loving acts that Cultivate Love within us, ultimately culminating in us Being the Manifestation of Love – I Am – Itself?

I believe earnestly that all Masonic Work directs us toward this latter end.  To have an Entry requirement that embraces this very end – Supreme Being – is very telling.  To Work toward that end is a Great and Important Undertaking.  When Manifested within each and every Brother, I Am becomes the focal point of and for all interactions and activities.  It should be clear, to have Beneficial effect, one must Be Love!