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

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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!