Building Builders!: Random Building Thoughts

-------------- COMMON CORE --------------

The Original Masonic Common Core
(Special thanks to Brother Kevin Schneider for his "title" inspiration!)

-------------- HUMOR --------------

-------------- INITIATION --------------

-------------- TRADITIONAL SHORTCOMINGS --------------

-------------- WISDOM --------------

-------------- MENTORSHIP --------------

-------------- THE BASIS & CORE --------------

This is the Basis and very Core of Freemasonic Theater:

"In the primitive world, where the clues to the origin of mythology must be sought, gods and demons are not conceived in the way of hard and fast, positive realities.

"The phenomenon of the primitive mask, for example, is a case in point. The mask is revered as an apparition of the mythical being that it represents, yet everyone knows that a man made the mask and that a man is wearing it. The one wearing it, furthermore, is identified with the god during the time of the ritual of which the mask is a part. He does not merely represent the god: he is the god.

"The literal fact that the apparition is composed of (a) a mask, (b) its reference to a mythical being, and (c) a man, is dismissed from the mind, and the presentation is allowed to work without correction upon the sentiments of both the beholder and the actor.

"In other worlds, there has been a shift of view from the logic of the normal secular sphere, where things are understood to be distinct from each other, to a theatrical or play sphere, where they are accepted for what they are experienced as being, and the logic is that of 'make-believe'—'as if.' "

-- Joseph Campbell, "The Historical Development of Mythology," in The Mythic Dimension

-------------- CAN YOU DO IT?--------------

Are you up for the challenge?

COACH'S CHALLENGE:

1) Rewrite the previous "Joseph Cambell" quote to denote Freemasonry, but change only a few words to do so, keeping the majority intact!

2) Share that effort here.

3) Defend your changes when challenged!

-------------- THOU ART BOTH --------------

-------------- ASSUMPTIONS --------------

One of my friends told me about a powerful lesson in her daughter's high school class this winter. They're learning about the Salem Witch Trials, and their teacher told them they were going to play a game.

"I'm going to come around and whisper to each of you whether you're a witch or a regular person. Your goal is to build the largest group possible that does NOT have a witch in it. At the end, any group found to include a witch gets a failing grade."

The teens dove into grilling each other. One fairly large group formed, but most of the students broke into small, exclusive groups, turning away anyone they thought gave off even a hint of guilt.

"Okay," the teacher said. "You've got your groups. Time to find out which ones fail. All witches, please raise your hands."

No one raised a hand.

The kids were confused and told him he'd messed up the game.

"Did I? Was anyone in Salem an actual witch? Or did everyone just believe what they'd been told?"

And that is how you teach kids how easy it is to divide a community.

Keep being welcoming, beautiful people. Shunning, scapegoating and dividing destroy far more than they protect. We're all in this together.

(Hat tip to Ria Megnin)

-------------- PATIENCE --------------