Monthly Devotional – May 2024

“Behold how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity.”  King David wrote those familiar words in Psalm 133 after he had united Israel, including those rebellious Ephraimites from the Fellowcraft Degree.  What is the importance of unity to a Masonic Lodge?  Just as precious ointment was used to consecrate Aaron as High Priest and cover him all over with its fragrant scent, so does unity provide blessings and comfort to all Freemasons.  Unity occurs when all parts fit together properly for a common purpose, such as in King Solomon’s Temple, where the Entered Apprentice Degree teaches that it had more the appearance of the handiwork of the Supreme Architect of the Universe than of human hands.  In the Master Mason Degree, the trowel spreads brotherly love and affection and unites us into one sacred band or society.  A similar concept is harmony, which comes from how well those different parts fit together.  We say that harmony is the strength and support of all institutions, we forbid all immoral or unMasonic conduct that may disturb peace and harmony, and we close our Lodges in ancient peace and harmony.  In our closing charge, we are advised to be all of one mind, which means not that we should all think alike, but that we should be like-minded in achieving our purpose.  If we are to be a brotherhood of man under the fatherhood of God, then the achievement of unity and harmony is one of our most important goals.

So, how did King David achieve this unity and harmony?  As our Grand Master has dedicated this year to Building Better Leaders, these lessons are more relevant than ever.  First, David was a man of patience, faith, courage, and humility, a man after God’s own heart.  He was anointed to be King when he was a 15-year-old shepherd boy, yet then returned to the fields and waited patiently for his time to arrive.  A few years later, he went to visit his brothers before a battle against the Philistines, where he beheld nine-foot-tall Goliath and asked, “who is this man who defies the armies of the living God?”  Armed only with a sling, five small stones, and the intense faith that God was with him, he struck Goliath down.  King Saul asked David to be his servant, and he did so humbly and obediently, still relying on God’s promise that he would be King someday.  When Saul decided to kill him out of jealousy, David fled to caves and the wilderness, still trusting in God’s protection.  Many of the Psalms that David wrote occurred during this time, when he was pleading for God’s assistance and support.  He often inserted the word “Selah”, which may mean something like “Hallelujah” or “pause to praise God”.  When David finally became King at age thirty, he surely embodied the Masonic teaching, “Time, patience, and perseverance will accomplish all things.”  David also had a humble and repentant heart.  He was all too human, subject to the same weaknesses that plague us, and committed horrendous sins that caused him trouble until the end of his days.  The Master Mason Degree mentions one of these, when David met and appeased the Destroying Angel on Mount Moriah, where King Solomon’s Temple was later consecrated.  But David was quick to admit his sins and beg for mercy, and his greatest statement of repentance is found in Psalm 51.  And so another Masonic lesson is that, when we make mistakes as leaders, we must quickly admit them, have a repentant heart, listen to counsel and learn from them, and work to make amends to heal the situation.  David’s example teaches us that God is full of grace and compassion, slow to anger and full of mercy, and we would do well to achieve unity and harmony among ourselves by being the same with each other.  Selah!

Thomas L. Varner Jr.
Grand Chaplain