How we Learn
With the publication of the Gutenberg Bible in 1454, the Holy Bible was taken from the domain of the Catholic Church and for the first time allowed the common people to read it for themselves. Thus began the age of books for people to read and to learn from.
The Bible tells stories from our ancient past and frequently uses allegories and symbolism to convey the morality lesson intended. Freemasonry also uses this technique to teach its lessons and allow each to draw their own conclusions and apply the symbols however each person finds them useful.
But we throw in something special to help, a Mentor, we call him a Coach. He is the guide to explain obscure thoughts and interpret what those strange hieroglyphs in the cypher mean. He can light the way much as a parent does teaching the young. It’s not easy learning this way but it is effective. The brain as a muscle needs to be exercised and when memorizing, exercised on a regular basis. We throw in an extra challenge to understand the old English language used and words have unique meanings, some even are extinct. Here is where the most valuable tool comes to our aid, the dictionary. We assume to know the meaning of certain words but when we look in the dictionary we discover a twist to the meaning that makes more sense to the story being told. Sometimes in our ritual the language uses so many words we’ve never used before and the dictionary interprets the meaning.
You can’t make a silk purse out of a sow’s ear, has no meaning to us until it’s explained that one needs ability first to learn. We have a very complete collection of books to help you understand Masonry and how it works. The Lodge has recently purchased 16 new books to stimulate your interest, but they must be picked up and read to have any value.
Guy Chalmers, PM
Senior Warden
