Decorative regalia and grand titles are woven through the world of fraternalism. Each one of those outwardly visible features can be a meaningful part of the adventure. With that said, someone who only knows about those outward aspects, might wrongly think that our greatest goal and commitment is to be an exalted high mucketymuck, rather than a thoughtful, and honorable person in daily life. The things that show outwardly should be only milestone markers of our personal and professional growth within the Order. The jewels and nifty names are not the goal.
Our true goals are quite the opposite because they involve what is inside of us, and what is greater than us. We Odd Fellows strive to engage with the better parts of our nature, and to amplify the fruits of that better nature through a communal effort. We draw closer to our best selves with the constant reminder to live in Friendship, Love and Truth. These are not just pretty words to set up on a pedestal, they are commitments.
If a position of honor grows from living the values of Friendship, Love and Truth, it is a position well held. But Friendship, Love, and Truth should always be the nutrient rich soil that everything grows out of.
Friendship shows compassion and uses its creativity in best efforts to resolve needs, not to rationalize inaction.
Love looks earnestly for ways to uplift, to share, and to make whole. It takes no joy in cruelty.
Truth goes beyond speaking cosmic truths because declarations ring hollow if we delight in deception day to day. Truth demands our daily effort to be honest about our own faults, fair in our dealings with others, and true to our word.
Living in Friendship, Love and Truth will not always be a simple feat. We all are human in a world that too often is callous and cruel. But our community of Odd Fellows has the positive power to inspire one another by example, and to hold each other more accountable, in the everyday.
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