I came across this video the other day. Someone I know posted it on Facebook and I took the two minutes to watch it:
It turns out that it wasn’t the first time that Freemasonry, Facebook and the Shriner’s Hospitals For Kids juxtaposed.
About 3 years ago a college roommate living in North Western Minnesota shared a link on Facebook. It turns out that his brother, living in the same town as him, had a little boy; a son of about 11 years old. This brother had just posted that he was outside the emergency room where his little boy had been taken and observed.
It turns out the kid had been complaining of knee pain for several days and was now complaining that it was dramatically more severe. It became so bad that he had to be brought to the hospital. The doctors couldn’t say for sure what the problem might be without further testing. They wanted the young man to be brought back for MRI’s and some x-rays. The boy’s folks wanted the best for their kid but were unsure of what the costs might be and where that money would come from. Additionally, the strain of being away from work only added to the pressure.
By the time I saw the post it was long past “real-time” and was now of the type, “Keep my brother in your prayers.” And it was 8:30 at night.
I called the Shriner’s Hospital in Minneapolis, explained that I was a Mason and requested that I be allowed to sponsor a patient. I went on to describe the condition of the child as best I could from the information I had. The nurse made an appointment for first AM Monday morning. When I told her that the family lived near 4 hours away, she let me know that she could change it to 1:00 if that would be easier.
I hesitated but pressed on. I mentioned that the family worked and may not be able to make the trip to Minneapolis and I would have to call back to confirm. She cheerfully explained that they had arrangements with a lodge in that area of the state and that a Mason would be called and a ride, to and from Minneapolis, would be arranged. It was hard to get my head around that. Again, explaining that the family might be able to make it based on their circumstances, I asked for lodging near the hospital, the less expensive the better. Again, she had an answer, “We allow families to stay on campus, we have rooms just for that purpose.”
One last thing…money might be an issue. As she wished me a good night she reassured me that all services would be provided to the family free of charge; there wouldn’t be a financial obligation to the family.
I was reminded:
Freemasonry stands for the exercise of Faith, Hope and Charity, the three cardinal virtues in the Freemasons’ creed. These are the principal rounds of that many-staved ladder, of which every stave represents an active virtue, which links earth to heaven, and which, though invisible, is a reality to the true Mason. Indeed, no man can be a true Mason without the exercise of these virtues in his daily life, for having Faith in God and His promises, he has the Faith which banishes doubt. He has also Faith in himself. Faith in his fellow-man. Faith in the boundless possibilities for a regenerate humanity, Faith in the ultimate happiness of all mankind, Faith in the enjoyment of perfect bliss throughout an endless life. With this Faith in his soul, the consistent Mason has hope. Hope for that in which he has Faith, Hope for himself. Hope for his fellows, Hope for all mankind—Hope for the present, Hope for the future — a Hope so firmly rooted in his soul, that it is steadfast, immovable, enduring to the end. And Charity, that perfection of all virtues, the choicest, rarest of all the jewels which adorn the life of a perfect Mason, that too Freemasonry stands for, although each Brother well knows the difficulty of its full attainment in this world of conflict, error, sin and tears. To bring help to a suffering humanity, to relieve the distressed stricken in body or mind, to shelter those whom a censorious world has cast out, and to throw a veil over the faults and failings of all weak and over- tempted souls—that is the Charity placed before us in a Freemasons’ Lodge.
I so do love this noble fraternity.