An American Freemason Speaks Out for Peace
by Dr. Patrick Swift
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Click book or here to go to the page and buy it for yourself,
May generosity triumph over stinginess, may love triumph over hatred, and may truth triumph over falsehood.
The Great Being saith: O well-beloved ones! The tabernacle of unity hath been raised; regard ye not one another as strangers. Ye are the fruits of one tree, and leaves of one branch. We cherish the hope that the light of justice may shine upon the world and sanctify it from tyranny.
It seems to me that most of the world's religions talk about Loving your enemies. The chapter these quotes was taken from is entitled "Love Your Enemies" - That is a pretty tall order. Love your enemies, pray for them that despitefully use you. I find it much easier to love my friends. And I know that I have the philosophy to "go to the other pasture" if there is a conflict between me and thee. That isn't loving my enemies. That is just running away from them. Casting them to the "outer darkness" so to speak. I don't like conflict.
As I was thinking about this concept the thought popped into my mind that the way to get around this whole idea is not to "Love my enemies" but to have no enemies. Therefore if I have no enemies I can just love everyone. Even those who use and abuse me. Of course there are people who don't like me. To them I am beginning to say - "You know the world is a big place - go somewhere else and forget about me."
In the Scottish Rite of Freemasonry I once heard a story told about a conflict between two men. One of the men stopped fighting and asked the other. "What do you call God?" The answer was, "I call him Father." The first man responded, "So do I. If we both call him Father that makes us brothers and I won't fight with my brother." Of course, as my friend Kurt would tell you Brothers sometimes fight. But perhaps when they fight there is still Love present.
Have a blessed week.
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