by W. Howard Coop, 32°
Upon discovering lofty concepts of truth, such as those in Freemasonry, persons of integrity are unwaveringly committed to those principles. As a result, they develop a set of core values that, in all situations and under all circumstances, govern their attitudes and actions. Such persons are reliable. In every situation or relationship, they inspire absolute confidence. Guided by their integrity, they are not led astray by every new idea or passing fad popular today and forgotten tomorrow. Because they have anchored their lives to substantive values, they have stability, even in a turbulent world.
Peter Marshall, a Scottish emigrant who became the popular pastor of New York Avenue Presbyterian Church in Washington, D.C., and Chaplain of the United States Senate, shared the following words in a prayer at the opening of the Senate: “Lord, help us to stand for something lest we fall for anything.” The stability of human society rests with persons of principle who are willing, day after day in the routine of life, to stand tall rather than fall flat.
Masons, men of integrity who have been taught to square their actions and plumb their behavior by truth, have become today, as they were during the Revolutionary period of American history, a powerful force in human society to preserve and strengthen our nation.
W. Howard Coop – Valley of Luisville, Kentucky, is a retired United Methodist Minister and has been a Freemason since 1952.
