Although Freemasonry is not a religion, Masons are a very “God-centered” brotherhood. If you go to the Mission Statement on the Valley of Portland’s website, you’ll see that Masons ground their lives by passionately embracing “dedication to God, family, and country.” What does this Masonic dedication to God “look like”? What impact does it have? Let’s take a few minutes to explore this.
An Inclusive Brotherhood
While it is true that Freemasonry embraces core religious principles in a Creed, it is welcoming and tolerant in its admission of men of many religious faiths. To become a Mason requires that you believe in (a.) God, the Creator of all things, who is recognized as the Grand Architect of the Universe and, (b.) eternal life, to which our present life is a preparation.
Let’s take a look at each of those two articles of faith, one at a time.
God, the Creator of All Things
For a Mason, the supremacy of God as Creator calls us to love God’s Creation deeply and ACTIVELY. As the saying goes, “Love is a verb.” And, for a Mason, that means that loving Creation means loving your fellow men and women, being a good role model for children, helping those in need, and more. That’s why, for example, the Valley of Portland’s Mission Statement calls for “teaching and emulating the principles of Brotherly Love.” And that’s why the Valley of Portland so ardently supports such efforts as the Blue Envelope Appeal, which allows Masons and members of the community to donate funds in a high-impact way that changes countless lives for the better. Through this crucial annual effort, we (a.) assist distressed Master Masons, their widows, and their orphans financially and physically through the Grand Almoner’s Fund, (b.) equip children with dyslexia with the skills they need to approach learning with eagerness and without fear, (c.) provide financial support to hundreds of students each year to help with the high cost of college, and more.
All of this comes directly out of Masonic dedication to God. All of it is about ACTIVELY loving and supporting God’s Creation, particularly those most in need of love and support.
What Eternal Life Asks of Each of Us
The Masons’ second article of faith—a belief in eternal life—is not just a belief, but a calling. Masons believe that scriptures from various religions can offer profound truths, one of which is found in the story offered in Mark 10:17 of the Christian Bible, when a young man asks Jesus of Nazareth, “What shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?” Masons observe that Jesus’ answer stressed how crucial it is to ACTIVELY help the poor and those less fortunate.
So what does Masonic dedication to God look like? Here at the Valley of Portland, we strive each day to make it look like a dedication centered on SERVICE—to our brothers, the local community, and to the profound spirit of “In God We Trust.”
Want to Learn More About the Valley of Portland?
Additional information about the Valley of Portland is available here and at our website here. Interested in learning more about local events? Visit our website and subscribe to our newsletter to stay up to date and informed about upcoming events.
New brothers interested in completing the application process can do so by filling out the online application here.
