On a beautiful spring day in 1945, our Brother and President, Franklin D. Roosevelt, sat for a commissioned portrait at his retreat of choice that he affectionately referred to as the “Little White House” in Warm Springs, Georgia. On the twelfth day of April 1945, life left this extraordinary man that had led our country for an unprecedented twelve years which included a Great Depression and most of the Second World War. On this fateful day, a peaceful transition of power that is so incredibly unique to our democracy was set into motion.
Along our Masonic journeys, how many times have we been prompted by the words, “In token of your sincerity”? On that clear spring day in 1945, over 700 miles away in Washington, D.C., an unsuspecting VicePresident and Mason from Missouri would soon have the weight of the world thrust upon his shoulders, and it is doubtful these five words were present in his thoughts as he discerned what had just happened to him. More
often than not, traumatic and startling events tend to highlight our instincts and principles. How those instincts and principles are formed and molded. Where do they come from? Our families? Our religion? Our fraternity? Hopefully, the answer is ‘all of the above’.
Throughout his life, Brother Truman had been known for being straight-forward, assertive and blunt, a fact that only intensified as he ascended the political ranks. On one occasion, as Truman railed against his opponents during a speech, a supporter shouted, “Give ‘em Hell, Harry!” To which Truman quickly replied, “I never gave anybody hell! I just told the truth and they thought it was hell.” This endeared him to the people, as he stood for plain-talking, fair-dealing and truth. Even though these attributes were refreshing, virtually no one believed he was equipped to be President, least of all, himself. In the context of our fraternity, a token is defined as a visible or tangible representation of a fact, quality or feeling. Sincerity is the quality of being free from pretense, deceit or hypocrisy. With this understanding, the true meaning and power of that token is revealed.
At 7:00 PM on April 12, 1945, Brother Truman was conducted to the cabinet room of the White House and sworn in as the 33rd President of the United States. At the conclusion of the Oath of Office and before shaking the hand of the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court that had just administered the oath, Truman bowed his head and kissed the Holy Bible upon which he had just taken the Oath of Office. In the most monumental moment, of the most overwhelming day of his life, Truman immediately harkened back to his experiences in our fraternity and declared his mind and conscious free from any pretense, deceit or hypocrisy by sealing this solemn oath with his Token of Sincerity.
Brother Truman was a failed businessman from rural Missouri that would go on to become arguably one of the greatest Presidents in our nation’s history. His life and actions showed us that he never lost sight of that Great Light and those guiding principles our fraternity champions. So, what does this mean for you or me, or the upcoming generation of Masons in this country? Our country is divided, and our world is hurting. But what if the miseries of today are the birthing pains of a new and much needed enlightenment? Turn on the news for a few minutes and then recite the Creed of the Scottish Rite. This country, and the world, needs Freemasonry more than ever. We must be that light that shines through the darkness. Just as Brother Truman did, on the darkest day or during the most burdensome situation of our lives, we must stand up, with sincerity of purpose, and be the example that the world needs so badly.
This article was published in the September 2020 edition of the Voice of the Orient.
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