Independence Day Parade

Yesterday was a great day for Masonry!  In the blazing hot sun on the biggest cookout day of the year, men and women from all walks of life and all over the region gathered together to celebrate the independence of our nation.  They sacrificed a few precious hours with their loved ones to participate in the City of Monroe parade in a show of the universality of Masonry.  We all know that discussions of patriotism can often lead to partisan bickering and petty disagreements among those who believe passionately in one ideology or another. Yesterday however, under the flag of our nation, Masons and a few of their family members gathered together not as Republicans, Democrats or Independents, but as Americans.  They walked over a mile and half on the sizzling blacktop roads of Monroe and showed the community that patriotism has not been destroyed by the partisan bickering that often plagues our society.  We are ONE nation, under GOD.  Men, women and children stood as the flag passed by.  Some saluted while others placed their hand upon their heart.  For that moment, we were all on the same team.  That is what Masonry is all about, as Brotherly Love is one of the great tenets of our Fraternity.  I was proud to be a part of the Brotherly Love that prevailed yesterday and honored that the community could be there to see it.