George H. Chapin, 33°
Grand Master, Grand Lodge of Masons of Virginia
4115 Nine Mile Road
Richmond, Virginia 23223–4926

Building bridges within Masonry and between the Craft and society must be our mission today.

For too many years, modern Masons have been imitating these ancient workmen. We have been building walls, walls between us and society, walls between one Masonic group and another. What we should be doing is building bridges, and that is exactly why I have taken Building Bridges as the theme for my year as Grand Master of Masons of Virginia. I want to build bridges that connect and unite, that bring us together and make Masonry stronger, not walls that divide and weaken us. Masons everywhere should be building bridges between the Grand Lodge and the Craft Lodges, bridges between the Craft Lodges and the Appendant Bodies, bridges between Freemasonry and the general public.

We are the world's oldest, largest, greatest fraternity. We take good men and make them better. Freemasonry strengthens families, helps young people through scholarships and youth programs, builds communities, benefits the nation, and is arguably the most effective charitable institution at work in the world today. In 1995, the last year for which we have solid figures, major North American Masonic philanthropies contributed $750 million—over $2 million per day—of which 70% went to the general American public. And note the phrase "major North American Masonic philanthropies." These are the dollars we can track. These are not the many, many millions more given by individual Lodges anonymously through their Almoner's funds for the relief of personal local tragedy, for the aid of the victims of disaster, for the multiple other needs met each and every day by Masons in America.

Remember, though, that this is not our main purpose. Freemasonry is not a service club. We have but one purpose: to take good men and make them better. That's what we are about, that's our mission, that's what we do, that's the only charge we have in life. We take the great lessons handed down from the operative builders of old—reverence for Deity, brotherhood, relief, and truth—and we make them the moral working tools of our Craft today. We instill those principles in our members. We teach and create values that affect lifestyles and, through our actions, affect the world and the lives of others. How we live is the best proof of the value of Masonry. It's how we act that impresses the non-Mason and the general public.

Some of our critics have said, "You Masons talk the talk, but you don't walk the walk." I'm afraid in all too many cases they're right. It's easy to give lip service. It's easy to say I believe this and I believe that, or I do this and I do that, but people know you by how you live and how you treat people. We would not have to defend Masonry if we lived Masonry. That's our charge, responsibility, and obligation. As important, that's our opportunity to make a difference in this world.

That goal is so high and worthy that some people say, "It sounds to me like you're a religion." Yes, Freemasonry shares the fundamental principles of all great religions. Yes, Freemasonry teaches the Golden Rule, reverence for the Creator, and service to one's fellowman. But let this be perfectly clear, Freemasonry is not a religion, and we certainly are not in conflict with any church or religion. Rather, Masonry complements each Brother's faith and strengthens his bond to church, synagogue, or mosque.

Our fundamental Masonic belief in the Fatherhood of God and the Brotherhood of man is a bridge that links all faith traditions, all moral philosophies, all ethical points of view. We are all doing the Lord's work because we are building character. Freemasonry offers no plan of salvation. We are not in the soul-saving business. We don't offer any way to get to heaven. Those kinds of things belong to the churches and their religious leaders. Your religion is your business between you and your God. Freemasonry doesn't want to be in anyone's religious business except to urge them to practice their religion, whatever it may be.

I'm reminded of the fellow who moved into an old run-down shack on the edge of town. It was a dilapidated place. There were old automobiles littering the lawn, the grass hadn't been cut for ages, the screens were hanging off the windows, the windows were broken, the doors were falling off. The house had not seen a coat of paint in a long, long time.

The fellow set about fixing the place up. He removed the old cars, cut the grass, repaired the windows and doors, painted the house. Now it was beginning to look pretty good. The pastor came to call and told the fellow, "You and the Lord have done a remarkable job with this place." The fellow said, "You should have seen it when the Lord had it to Himself."

I don't relate this story with any disrespect. I tell it to illustrate the point that Freemasons are doing the Lord's work and that the Lord needs us to help with His work—not saving souls, not trying to dictate someone's religion, but building character and doing good. That's what we're about. That's what Masons have to tell the public and, more importantly, that's what our lives as Masons must reflect.

These are the bridges we must build between ourselves as Brethren, within our families, in our houses of worship, among our Masonic organizations, in our local communities, and with the public at large. We don't need to stand on street corners handing out petitions or be knocking on doors, but we do need to show pride, enthusiasm, and commitment to our membership in the world's greatest Fraternity. We have nothing to be ashamed of and everything to be proud of. We need to talk about Freemasonry, and we have to live Freemasonry. We can do it. We can do it one person at a time. Then, each of our lives as Freemasons will be a bridge to a stronger Fraternity and a better world.