Clorox™ Masonry

by Midnight Freemason Contributor

Bro. Randy Sanders

I personally like to use a few different cleaners and disinfectants around the house. I like certain ones like Clorox™ Clean Up followed by a good rinse of water when disinfecting food prep surfaces. On flooring I might want to use something with a little less bleaching properties but still maintaining that strong disinfectant. Stainless steel cleaners on their own can leave a bit of an oily residue without another clean rinse of water afterward, and glass surfaces, you guessed it, need something that won’t etch the glass.

Freemasonry teaches targeted touch up cleaning in some areas where a good strong cleaner may be needed in others. We as Masons are admonished to whisper tenderly in a brother’s ear when we encounter perceived shortcomings, and that seems synonymous to me with a gentle wipe of a broad-spectrum cleaner. Why would we go deep dive into that brother’s business with a targeted intervention when we could simply offer a few words of coaching or even encouragement in getting past whatever situation we perceive as negative? We must remain cognizant that we do not walk in their shoes, we don’t experience the same situation as the brother, and we certainly don’t know what goes on within that brother’s life even when we are told by the brother. We simply weren’t there inside that brother’s head.

Yet I still see brothers all up in other brothers’ business. I witness brothers and their families talking about other brothers and their families like school children at recess. Why is that? Our own house is so solid that there are no more rough ashlars? We can go critique our brother while he’s doing the best he can? Or put another way, the coming down hard on a brother, tearing him a new orifice, as opposed to coaching and offering to assist in helping him in his time of need? There’s no reason to spray strong acid indiscriminately when a gently applied soft cloth removes the stain. Even if we open ourself to such critique, we should never speak badly about a brother behind his back with very few exceptions, and those based on absolute necessity.

We do need to speak about each other. We need to convey news to other Masons, and we need to keep our lines of communication open. We must maintain legitimate communication no matter what the circumstances. Maybe the easiest test to check the legitimacy of our words is to simply ask, did I say these same words to the brother in question? Did we say these exact same words to the brother before we say them to someone else? Another option, always available to Masons, is silence and leading by example. Communication should be the spreading of brotherly love, otherwise, silence is the Clorox™ Clean Up of Freemasonry.

~RS

Randy and his wife Elyana live near St. Louis, Missouri, USA. Randy earned a Bachelors Degree in Chemistry with an emphasis in Biochemistry, and he works in Telecom IT management. He volunteers as a professional and personal mentor, NRA certified Chief Range Safety Officer and enjoys competitive tactical pistol, rifle, and shotgun. He has 30 plus years teaching Wing Chun Kung Fu, Chi Kung, and healing arts. Randy served as a Logistics Section Chief on two different United States federal Disaster Medical Assistance Teams over a 12 year span. Randy is a 32nd degree KCCH and Knight Templar. His Masonic bio includes past Lodge Education Officer for two symbolic lodges, Founder of the Wentzville Lodge Book Club, member of the Grand Lodge of Missouri Education Committee, Sovereign Master of the E. F. Coonrod AMD Council No. 493, Co-Librarian of the Scottish Rite Valley of St. Louis, Clerk for the Academy of Reflection through the Valley of Guthrie, and a Facilitator for the Masonic Legacy Society. Randy is a founding administrator for Refracted Light, full contributor to Midnight Freemasons, and an international presenter on esoteric topics. Randy hosts an open ongoing weekly Masonic virtual Happy Hour on Friday evenings. Randy is an accomplished home chef, a certified barbecue judge, raises Great Pyrenees dogs, and enjoys travel and philosophy.