A Hero

George is a quiet man who, because of his kindness and dignity, has always impressed me. I recently came to admire him much, much more than before. George is an 83 year-old World War II veteran who served in the Scottish Infantry to liberate Hitler's Europe. His brogue remains very thick but he is always smiling and loves to call me laddy. My admiration for this man extends well beyond the due respect he deserves for serving his country and the cause of freedom. The source of my admiration comes from a private conversation he and I had on the sidelines of our lodge after a recent meeting. In this conversation he revealed to me how much he believed in the Masonic tenets of the Fatherhood of God and Brotherhood of Man.

He told me that, despite being called up to serve in the army he could never kill another man - even when defending his own life. He would serve his country the best he could but he would not make himself take the life of another child of God.

For years he served and many times he looked down his sites and fired - at a tree, the air, or some other inanimate object - but never at another human being. His life they could take - but take theirs he would not. Killing for him was something he saw nearly every day and would rather give his life than be the cause of the torture he saw around him.

The Master said, "Greater love hath no man than this, that he lay down his life for his friends (John 15:13)." He considered all mankind, even those who others would call enemies, his friends and loved them all the same - so much so that he would be willing to give his own life for them. This indeed would be his true measure of devotion - not to a flag, but to God and to his brothers.

Now, enfeebled and shrunk by age, he stands a giant of a man - even a hero to me - in the sunset of his life. And in that sunset, the setting splendors of his Love and Kindness now gild his final moments with Light, and cast upon us an example of action, integrity and belief in the power of the truth of the Fatherhood of God and the Brotherhood of Man.