Gaylord Z. Thomas, 32°
2619 Concan Street, San Antonio, Texas 78251-1719
gthomas4@satx.rr.com

Masonic "light" is about making a difference for good in the world
by making a change within yourself.

As I was driving home from a recent Scottish Rite Reunion, a song from my childhood, "This Little Light of Mine," popped into my head and suddenly seemed very relevant to my lifelong Masonic quest for "more light." And it is not just a Masonic experience. Most of us have a natural desire for self-development. Yet, without the Masonic influence, how far along would I be in my own quest?

Masonically, when we refer to "light," we usually mean increased personal understanding of "truth." So, this little "truth" of mine, am I going to "let it shine"? You bet! That "little light" we sing about as children comes from within. It's really about integrity, doing what's right when nobody is looking, and leading by example so that others may catch a glimmer of that truth. It's about making a difference for good in the world by making a change within ourselves.

On our Masonic journey, we obviously come to our Blue Lodge because we have recognized some spark of a light in ourselves. Perhaps we can think of this light as a penlight-small, but effective. After advancing through the Craft Degrees, our light shines more brightly, but much of what we are looking for may still be concealed from us. Full light is not suddenly on. It's not that easy! You could think of it as controlled by a dimmer switch that rotates only in one direction, brighter, because once you learn something-once you really see something-you can never unlearn it. By design you cannot "dim" it just as it is by design you cannot make it bright too fast. Enlightenment takes time and effort! That's why there are many Masonic Degrees and Orders, each a path to greater knowledge and self-discovery. Do you remember sleeping soundly in a dark room and then someone suddenly flipping on a brilliant light? Probably, it was not a good experience. Most of us prefer a more subtle approach, a gradual increase of light for which we are prepared.

Going on to the Scottish Rite in search of more light extends this analogy. The light from our Blue Lodge experience is ours and is real if we have truly experienced the first Three Degrees. It's not just a figment of our imagination or some symbolic representation. In the Lodge of Perfection, we essentially learn to increase our light, to improve, i.e. "perfect," our understanding of the Hiramic legend of the Blue Lodge. Beyond that, we learn more about ourselves, finding more light and more personal truth. Metaphorically, our penlight expands to something more like a flashlight or perhaps, over more time and work, to a light on the scale of the type that illuminates a ballpark.

Although fictional, the Star Wars series presents a similar quest. We see Luke Skywalker learning to use his light saber effectively. It becomes a powerful tool. What is the source of that light? Why does the light saber of each character have a different color? Clearly, each character's light emanates from inside himself and is always changing. Similarly, our little light, our Masonic enlightenment, grows as we go through the Degrees. Of course, each person's light glows and grows differently, depending on how the individual responds to the meanings of each Degree.

Advancing through the Scottish Rite Degrees may be seen, metaphorically, as changing the focus of our light or, perhaps, recharging our batteries, in-creasing the current, or even plugging into the source. The Degrees reveal our duties to God (that we worship one Creator), to our country (that we serve its good purposes), and to our fellowman (that we love one another). In terms of Luke Skywalker, again, the Degrees demonstrate how to use the force for good. If so, then the light will naturally intensify and spread. Remem-ber that while Yoda was instructing young Skywalker, he always warned him about the "dark side," the absence of light or the evil misuse of it. Here, as in the Degrees, is the double-edged sword of truth, the light saber. There is real danger if the force is wrongfully understood and applied. Luke uses his light saber to fight Darth Vader who represents the dark side, the ignorance and egotism that leads to tyranny and fanaticism. Scottish Rite Masons let their light shine and fight these same societal ills everyday.

The quest is the same, whether in a fictional character like Luke Skywalker or in the real-life Freemason. Our Degrees take a methodical approach, revealing and concealing as best suits the Candidate at any specific stage of his quest for Masonic light. Even the Lodges (Perfection, Rose Croix, Kadosh, Consistory) are set up in a logically advancing order that helps us on the search for our personal truths. As we find these truths, one of the things each Mason discovers is his very real duty to "let it shine," to pass it along, tapping into our own special talents, to those who are ready to advance their own understandings and so increase their personal light.

Welcome to this journey and to the Masonic light that can be yours every step of the way!

Gaylord Z. Thomas is a Lt. Col. in the USAF and a navigator by trade. He currently serves as Commander, 324th Training Squadron (Basic Military Training School), Lackland AFB, Texas. A member of Branchville Lodge No. 496, Branchville, Indiana, the Guthrie Scottish Rite Bodies, Guthrie, Oklahoma, and other Appendant Bodies, including the Nemnuf Clowns of Alzafar Shrine Temple. His Shrine clown name is "Zeeby," and he serves as the Webmaster for the International Shrine Clown Association.