HAUTS GRADES ACADEMY Knight of the East

by Scott Muller, 33°, MSA, HGA Valley of Scranton

What does it mean to keep an obligation or a promise? This question is at the heart of the 15th degree, Knight of the East. The Core Value of the degree is Integrity. What is integrity? What would you have done if you were put in a case similar to Zerubbabel? Are there other examples of integrity in this degree? I think these are all questions that must be examined when looking at the 15th degree.

Integrity is the adherence to ethical or moral principles. An obligation is an action to which someone is morally or legally bound. These two things come together with the character Zerubbabel. He has taken the obligation of the ancient Craft of Masonry and is unwilling to freely reveal its secrets for any price. The price is a great one, too: the freedom of his people. If you place the two choices upon a scale, you might think that the scale would tip toward freedom. What would be the consequences if Zerubbabel revealed the secrets thereby setting his people free?

From a practical standpoint, if Cyrus was given the secrets, Zerubbabel would receive the freedom of his people, gold, the holy vessels, and the Ark of the Covenant. On the other hand, he would have lost his integrity, not only to his people but also to Cyrus. The consequences would have a cumulative effect. His fellow Masons would have known that he had broken his obligation. If he did this, what other obligations and promises would he renege on? The people would also know and would question if he could be trusted to lead them. Cyrus would also question whether Zerubbabel is a man who could be trusted to be his neighbor and ally.

Who else shows integrity in this degree? The easiest to see is Daniel. His integrity is based on his ability as a prophet and interpreter of dreams. His integrity may also be the hardest with which to live. It is easy being a prophet when you interpret a dream the way the dreamer wishes, but what about when it is not what they want to hear? People like to hear good things; they do not like bad news and that is what Daniel sometimes has to give. In addition, Daniel is in exile with the Jewish people. When he interprets Cyrus’ dream, is he doing it just to help his people or is it the true interpretation? Daniel walks on a tightrope. His explanations of dreams may not be to the liking of his people. They may not be to the liking of Cyrus. But if he maintains his integrity, he will continue to be respected.

How about Cyrus, does he show integrity? From a quick reading one would think that Cyrus is only out to gain something for himself. Does he really desire the secrets of Ancient Craft Masonry, or does this demand have a different purpose? We know that Cyrus does not like to hear things that are not favorable to him. This is quite apparent in Daniel’s interpretation of his dream. He does, though, want to know if the exiles want freedom and will be successful if they are given it. That is perhaps the reason he puts Zerubbabel to the challenge of the ransom. Cyrus does not ask for the mysteries freely, but as a ransom. There is a difference. Cyrus is a great king. His integrity is based on how he rules, how he treats his subjects, how he deals with his enemies and many other things. If he is a good ruler, he will want to deal with people of similar integrity. So, although it may appear that Cyrus is trying to get something which he does not deserve, he might just be seeing if Zerubbabel is deserving of his desire.

Integrity is a fine line. Each of us has to make decisions that affect our integrity. Do you choose what people want to hear, or do you give them a truth that they may not want to hear? We can only answer that for ourselves. How you answer is important, because no matter how small the issue may seem, you must live with your response for the rest of your life. Every action has a reaction, and like ripples in a pond, they spread out and even affect things on the shoreline. Integrity is a lesson to be learned.

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