Tolerance Tuesday-Historical Echoes — Tolerance in Masonic Tradition

 

Long before tolerance became a buzzword, it was a cornerstone of Masonic identity.

In the 18th century, when sectarianism and political strife divided nations, Freemasonry dared to unite men across religious and ideological lines. Catholic and Protestant. Monarchist and republican. Merchant and artisan. Within the Lodge, they met not as rivals, but as Brothers.

This was radical. This was revolutionary. And it was deliberate.

Masonic tradition has always emphasized the dignity of difference. The Volume of Sacred Law on the altar may vary from Lodge to Lodge, but its presence always affirms a shared reverence for truth. The square and compass remind us to measure our actions and circumscribe our passions, especially when confronted with views that challenge our own.

Tolerance in Masonry isn’t passive. It’s principled.

It means choosing respect over reaction. Curiosity over condemnation. Dialogue over division.

The historical echoes are clear: From Enlightenment thinkers who found refuge in the Lodge, to civil rights leaders who drew strength from its teachings, Freemasonry has offered a framework for moral courage and mutual respect.

Even the ritual itself is a lesson in tolerance. We are taught to subdue our passions. To whisper wise counsel. To seek light; not to impose it.

In a world that often rewards certainty and punishes nuance, Masonic tradition reminds us that true strength lies in restraint. That Brotherhood is forged not in sameness, but in shared striving.

This week’s reflection: Consider the historical roots of your own tolerance. What traditions shaped your values? What rituals remind you to lead with grace?

Let the echoes of the past guide your steps today. Let your tolerance be not just modern...but timeless.

See you next Tuesday.

Tolerance Tuesday-The Lodge as a Laboratory of Tolerance

 

Step into a Lodge, and you step into a space unlike any other.

Here, men of different backgrounds, beliefs, and temperaments gather not to debate, but to build. Not to win arguments, but to seek wisdom. Not to dominate, but to grow.

The Lodge is more than a meeting place. It is a laboratory of tolerance.

Every ritual, every symbol, every protocol is designed to cultivate respect. We rise when others speak. We listen without interruption. We address one another as Brother, not out of habit, but out of principle.

This isn’t just tradition. It’s training.

In a world that rewards outrage and punishes nuance, the Lodge teaches us to slow down. To reflect. To engage with dignity. It’s where we learn the discipline of disagreement, the ability to hold firm to our values while honoring the humanity of those who differ.

The checkered floor beneath our feet reminds us: life is a balance of light and dark, joy and sorrow, certainty and doubt. And tolerance is what allows us to walk that floor together.

We don’t always agree. We’re not meant to. But we are meant to listen. To learn. To lead with compassion.

In this way, the Lodge becomes a rehearsal space for the world outside. What we practice within its walls, patience, humility, restraint, we carry into our homes, our workplaces, our communities.

And that is the true work of Freemasonry: Not just to build better men, but to build a better world.

This week’s challenge: Bring the Lodge’s decorum into your daily life. Rise when others speak. Listen with intention. Respond with grace.

Let your conduct reflect the Craft. Let your presence be a reminder that tolerance is not just a virtue—it’s a practice.

See you next Tuesday.

Tolerance Tuesday-The Quiet Strength of Tolerance

 

In a world that often mistakes volume for virtue and outrage for righteousness, Freemasonry reminds us of a quieter strength...tolerance.

Not the kind that shrugs or retreats. Not the kind that avoids discomfort. But the kind that listens, endures, and chooses respect even when disagreement runs deep. Tolerance, in the Masonic sense, is not weakness. It is moral courage in restraint.

We see it in the compasses, those elegant tools that teach us to draw boundaries with wisdom, not with anger. They remind us to circumscribe our passions, to temper our judgments, and to measure our conduct with grace. The compasses don’t erase difference. They help us live within it.

In Lodge, we sit beside Brothers of every background, belief, and temperament. We rise together, speak in turn, and listen with intention. This isn’t just ritual it’s practice. It’s training in the art of tolerance. And it’s one of the most radical things we do.

Because tolerance is hard.

It asks us to hold space for ideas we don’t share. To honor people, we don’t fully understand. To resist the easy pull of tribalism and choose, instead, the harder path of unity. It’s not flashy. It doesn’t trend. But it builds something lasting.

A bridge. A bond. A Brotherhood.

So, as we begin this Tolerance Tuesday series, let’s start here: with the quiet strength that undergirds our Craft. Let’s reflect on the moments when tolerance changed a conversation, softened a heart, or preserved a friendship. Let’s remember that every time we choose patience over pride, we lay another stone in the temple of understanding.

This week’s challenge: Practice one act of quiet tolerance. Listen without interrupting. Pause before reacting. Extend grace where it’s not expected.

Because in that silence, in that restraint, in that deliberate kindness...there is strength. And it is the kind of strength the world needs more of.

See you next Tuesday.

“A Night at the Heritage Center: Gala Highlights and a New Dream”

 “Honoring 105 Years of Care and Unveiling a Vision for the Future”

On September 27th, the Masonic Heritage Center in Bloomington, MN welcomed guests to the 20th Annual Minnesota Masonic Charities Gala. A celebration not only of two decades of giving, but of a legacy 105 years in the making.

This year’s Gala focused on raising critical funds for the Minnesota Masonic Home, a place where compassion and dignity have guided care for generations. For over a century, the Home has been a sanctuary for residents and families, offering trusted care when comfort and connection matter most. 

But this year, the evening carried something more: a dream.

CEO John Schwitz shared a bold new vision, to build a dedicated space on campus where Brothers of the Craft and Sisters of the Eastern Star could live together in their twilight years, surrounded by fellowship and exceptional care. It’s a vision rooted in tradition, but reaching toward the future: a Masonic community where shared values become shared lives.

To explore this possibility, the Second Century Committee has been formed. Their charge? To seek out the best path forward, honoring the past while building something enduring for those yet to come.

The Gala was more than a fundraiser. It was a moment of renewal, a reminder that charity, like light, grows brighter when shared. And that the bonds of brotherhood and sisterhood don’t fade with time; they deepen.

Here’s to the next century of care, connection, and community.

Tolerance Tuesday-The Work of Tolerance — Building Bridges

 Tolerance isn’t passive. It’s not silence. It’s not simply “putting up with” difference.

Tolerance is work. Bridge-building work.

And in Freemasonry, we are builders by tradition. Not of walls...but of connections. Of understanding. Of peace.

The trowel, one of our most cherished symbols, reminds us of this labor. It spreads the cement of brotherly love and affection. It binds stone to stone, not by force, but by care. By intention. By skill.

In a divided world, this is sacred work.

It means listening when it’s easier to argue. It means showing up when it’s easier to withdraw. It means extending a hand across the gap, especially when the gap feels wide.

Tolerance is not weakness. It is strength under control. It is the discipline of empathy.

And like any discipline, it must be practiced.

We build bridges when we:

• Invite dialogue instead of debate

• Share stories instead of statistics

• Ask questions instead of assuming answers

• Honor the humanity in those we don’t understand

This is not easy work. But it is necessary. And it is ours.

Because every Lodge is a bridge. Every Brother is a builder. And every act of tolerance is a stone laid in the path toward unity.

This week’s challenge: Reach out to someone whose views differ from your own. Not to change them, but to understand them. Ask. Listen. Learn. Lay one stone.

The bridge begins with you.

See you next Tuesday.

Tolerance Tuesday- Symbols of Unity in a Divided World

In times of division, symbols matter more than ever.

They remind us who we are. What we stand for. And what we’re capable of...together.

Freemasonry is rich with symbols. Not as decoration, but as instruction. Each one carries a lesson, a challenge, a truth. And among the most powerful is the mosaic pavement—that checkered floor of black and white tiles, laid side by side in harmony.

It doesn’t erase difference. It honors it.

The mosaic pavement teaches us that light and dark, joy and sorrow, belief and doubt—all belong. That unity is not uniformity. It is the art of holding opposites in balance.

In a divided world, this is radical.

We are taught to walk that pavement with reverence. To tread carefully, thoughtfully, knowing that every step is a choice. A choice to build, not break. To listen, not shout. To understand, not dismiss.

Other symbols echo this call:

• The compasses, drawing circles that include rather than exclude.

• The plumb, reminding us to stand upright in our dealings with all.

• The trowel, spreading the cement of brotherly love.

These are not relics. They are tools for today.

Because the world is watching. And when we live our symbols, when we embody their meaning—we become something more than members. We become messengers.

Messengers of unity. Of dignity. Of hope.

This week’s challenge: Choose one Masonic symbol. Reflect on its meaning. Then live it, intentionally, visibly, and generously.

Let your actions be a symbol. Let your presence be a reminder. Let your life be a mosaic, where difference is not feared, but welcomed.

See you next Tuesday.

Tolerance Tuesday-Brotherhood Beyond Belief

 

We live in a time when personal belief, political, religious, can divide faster than it unites. But Freemasonry offers a counterpoint: a Brotherhood that does not require agreement, only respect.

In Lodge, we do not ask what creed you follow, what party you support, or what doctrines you hold. We ask only this: Do you seek truth? Do you strive to live with integrity? Do you honor the dignity of others?

This is Brotherhood beyond belief.

It is not built on sameness. It is built on shared values, charity, humility, service, and the pursuit of wisdom. It is a bond that transcends dogma and welcomes difference, not as a threat, but as a teacher.

The square reminds us to act justly. The compasses teach us to restrain judgment. And the letter G is at the heart of our symbol. It calls us to reverence; however, we define it.

When we gather in Lodge, we do so as equals. Not because we agree on everything, but because we agree on what matters: the work of building character, community, and compassion.

This kind of Brotherhood is rare. It is radical. And it is needed.

Because beyond belief lies something deeper: a shared humanity. A recognition that every person carries a story, a struggle, and a spark of the divine. When we honor that, we build not just Lodges-but bridges.

This week’s challenge: Reach out to someone whose beliefs differ from your own. Ask a question. Share a kindness. Practice Brotherhood beyond belief.

Because tolerance is not passive. It is active. It is the daily choice to build connection where others build walls.

See you next Tuesday.