An excellent an article I read yesterday in California Freemasons Magazine (also online here: http://www.cafreemason-
Here is the gist of the message from the CA Grand Master:
There’s something very special about the craftsmen among
us. They are able to relate to our first Masonic brothers, the
stonemasons of the Middle Ages, in a unique way – through the
work they do with their hands.
Craft art is about mastery. It’s about years of training and
devotion. It’s about an act of creation, and an end product that
reflects the person and the hands that made it. I admire all of
the members featured in this issue, and the countless other craft
artisans among our fraternity, for the talent, time, and personal
investment that goes into such craftsmanship.
Their work is a reminder to all of us of the work that we must
do in the lodge, and in our everyday lives. As Masons, we have
also dedicated ourselves to a path that requires self-mastery,
and a lifetime of hard work. We are in an ongoing apprenticeship
to improve ourselves – we’re learning which weaknesses
to chip away at, and coming to understand what truly makes us
strong and balanced.
Along the way, we call upon the lessons and skills of our
stonemason brothers. They left us a blueprint for living, based
on the way they went about their craft. Stonemasonry required
leveling and squaring, balance and a strong foundation. It also
required patience, a desire to always keep learning and improving,
and commitment to excellence. These philosophies guide
us today.
So even if you don’t consider yourself a craft artisan, this
issue is about you. As Masons, we are all craftsmen. We are
all working away at our rough ashlars, year after year. It’s only
through patience, practice, and devotion that we create our own
masterpiece: the perfect ashlar of the self.
William J. Bray III, Grand Master
The Craftsman in You
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