From the Editor’s Desk

It’s All About the Journey

by PJ Roup, 33˚, Editor, Active for Pennsylvania

My wife,Gail, and I have a continuing debate between us: how to get where we’re going. When we are taking a trip— whether it is 5 miles or 500 miles— I prefer to take the fastest route. I want to get on the highway, drive fast, stop infrequently, and get to my destination as soon as possible. Truth be told, if I could take a plane to the grocery store, I would do it if it bought me a minute or two.

Gail, on the other hand, generally prefers the scenic route. On short trips, she almost always eschews the expressway in favor of the side roads. Also, she doesn’t mind leaving the interstates to take in the unique sights of all the small towns along the way.

I am slowly coming around to her way of thinking. While I may shave a few minutes from my travel time on the interstate, I do so at the cost of my inner peace. I rarely get cut off by aggressive drivers or boxed in by slow-moving vehicles as I traverse the back roads. It may have taken me a long time, but I finally realize that life is not about the destination, but rather, the journey.

The same can be said of Freemasonry. Since the chief aim of the Craft is to know Truth and make us strive for perfection, the destination is really not attainable, is it? There is always room for improvement, after all. It stands to reason, then, that Freemasonry is about the journey.

Our journeys through Freemasonry are as different as we are from each other. How you joined, why you sought it, and where it will take you are questions that only you can answer. What we share, though, are the fundamentals of the Blue Lodge, the 29 degrees and six Core Values of the Scottish Rite, and the unspoken truth about where our journeys began.

This issue of The Northern Light is dedicated to our new campaign, “Journey On.” I am sure it will resonate with each of you as you reflect on the time you have spent in the Craft. The sights you have seen, the friendships you have forged, and the lessons you have learned along the way have been worth it.

It may not be the easiest path, but remember: It’s all about the journey.