May Our Remembrance Become Our Renewal – Part 3

Remarks made at the annual Celebration of Remembrance & Renewal of the Ancient & Accepted Scottish Rite of Utah, James Lowe Chapter Rose Croix in the Valley of Salt Lake on Thursday, April 23, 2009.

There are four practices that will allow us to turn remembrance into renewal more often. Second: All of us are less than perfect, and we must forgive and forget to set aside the imperfections that block our view of truth.

Those who look back at departed friends, parents, family, or acquaintances remembering every slight, hurt, or sin are, in my experience, bitter, chronically negative, and poor companions.

Those who look for and find the wisdom, strength, and beauty in every experience, person, or memory are the best companions. Even in illness or adversity they are the most divine of humanity.

Often it is not until we try parenting ourselves that we are impressed with the job our own parents did, and begin to wonder why we weren’t the children we should have been.

A Masonic Tradition records that Hiram, King of Tyre and Solomon, King of Israel had a disagreement that almost ended their friendship, and could easily have led to war.

Hiram sought forgiveness for his “hasty words and unjust suspicions.” Solomon told Hiram that his words were “forgiven and forgotten.”[1]

Every time someone says, “I can forgive, but I will never forget,” what I hear is, “I just can’t forgive!”

In the aforementioned Masonic Tradition, Solomon wisely taught his Royal Friend that, “Forgiveness is a Divine Virtue, for everyday God forgives us much or He would not suffer us to live.”[2]

Many of us, and most especially me, need to forgive and forget more often, more fully, and more divinely in order to free ourselves and others from error.

There are four practices that will allow us to turn remembrance into renewal more often. Tomorrow, the Third of these practices: In every life there is some virtue, that is: something wise, strong, or beautiful; and we have to find it, and let it inspire us.



[1] AASR, 6th Degree Ritual
[2] AASR, 6th Degree Ritual