Regardless of which religious faith or creed any of us may profess, we cannot help but be moved by the message of Christmas. It is a season that voices humanity's longing for peace on earth. As Brothers of the Mystic Tie, we know that wherever the hope of love and compassion is lifted in the hearts of men, then the spirit of Freemasonry is there to sustain and strengthen them. The Prince of Peace voiced humanity's longing for peace, and Masonry strives to make this possible among men of good will. The spirit of Christmas and the spirit of Masonry have marched hand and hand through the ages. Century after century, the spirit of universal brotherhood has emblazoned the spirit of Christmas upon its every banner, has carried it to the farthest corners of the earth, and spread it in both mansion and shack, palace and hut. And today, wherever Yuletide trees brighten homes and corners, where bright lights burn to give cheer to the lonely and tired, where glad voices sing songs of great joy, where the laughter of children and happy smiles of our grandparents round out the hours—there you will read the story of the spirit of Christmas and the spirit of Masonry.

Of course, in Masonry, it matters little the belief system from whence we come, so long as we have faith in a Higher Influence capable of moving us to love one another. It is this beautiful universal principle of religion that permits us to shake hands and meet on the square with good men of all faiths in essentially every country in the world.

The devout Israelite heeds our signs and lives in accordance with the sacred teachings of Freemasonry. The Christian knows he is a better man because he is a Freemason. The Hindu recognizes the universal language of the Craft and, speaking a different language, believing in an entirely different system of religion, and familiar with different laws, rises from a shrine in an Eastern pagoda to clasp hands with a Brother from the far West. The Moslem, turning his face toward Mecca in prayer or crossing over the desert sands, remembers the sacred obligations he has assumed as a Mason and performs to a Brother from a distant land the kindest acts of humanity.

The pure and moral principles of our beloved Fraternity inculcate charity to all mankind—a Brotherhood without boundaries, a faith without sectarianism, a patriotism without party, a unity of hearts, universal, embracing a worldwide community of men.
Can we not see the message of Christmas here?

Robert G. Davis is the Secretary of the Scottish Rite Bodies in Guthrie, Oklahoma. He is Past Master of two Oklahoma Lodges, serves as editor of the Oklahoma Scottish Rite Mason, is actively involved with Masonic education and renewal programs both in Oklahoma and nationally, and presently serves as President of the International Philalethes Society.