Building Bridges

by Peter J. Samiec, 33˚, Sovereign Grand Commander

In our last issue, you learned about our new anthemic campaign for Scottish Rite known as “Journey On.” My Brothers, I am pleased to introduce you to a continuation of our “Journey On” theme: Pathfinder. It comes to our members in the form of a guidebook and field book where each Scottish Rite Mason can select the unique paths he would like to take along his Scottish Rite journey. Learn more about this exciting addition to your Scottish Rite member experience on page 24.

The spark of inspiration for our Pathfinder initiative came from a poem by Will Allen Dromgoole called “The Bridge Builder,” where she writes:

An old man going a lone highway, Came, at the evening cold and gray, To a chasm vast and deep and wide. Through which was flowing a sullen tide The old man crossed in the twilight dim, The sullen stream had no fear for him; But he turned when safe on the other side And built a bridge to span the tide.

“Old man,” said a fellow pilgrim near, “You are wasting your strength with building here; Your journey will end with the ending day, You never again will pass this way; You’ve crossed the chasm, deep and wide, Why build this bridge at evening tide?”

The builder lifted his old gray head; “Good friend, in the path I have come,” he said, “There followed after me to-day A youth whose feet must pass this way. This chasm that has been as naught to me To that fair-haired youth may a pitfall be; He, too, must cross in the twilight dim; Good friend, I am building this bridge for him!”

I’ve always found inspiration in this poem. It speaks to the very heart of Freemasonry, building for others. Weren’t the great and magnificent edifices we often cite as the product of operative masons built for others— just as the bridge cited in this poem? Pathfinder is that proverbial bridge to help our members, new and old, along their Scottish Rite journey. Those who created the Pathfinder program have indeed built that bridge.

The key takeaway is that, as traveling men, the paths we choose and the quarries we labor in may differ, but we know in our hearts that we are never alone on our journey to more light. With every step we take, the Grand Architect of the Universe and our Brothers have left breadcrumbs along the way to guide us, thus revealing the path to further knowledge and enrichment. Each Pathfinder mile marker will provide that additional enlightenment. Each bend in the road will reveal a new adventure. And always remember: the journey needn’t be hasty.

My Brothers, as you forge ahead on your quest for deeper meaning, remember: there can be just as much satisfaction and beauty in the time of reflection spent along the way as there is in reaching your destination. In other words, find the joy in the journey; it will make the achievement so much more rewarding. Keep that in mind as you venture out on your personal Masonic journey of self-discovery. And it is exactly that—your very own.

Travel toward the light, my Brothers. And when you get to that bridge over the chasm, remember those who built it and endeavor to pay it forward so others may benefit from your labors as well.

Peter J. Samiec, Sovereign Grand Commander