As far back as we have any record of human experience, there have been heroes. In fact, it seems the main purpose of world mythology has been to perpetuate stories of great adventurers—men and women who, through deeds of remarkable strength or sacrifice, have taught us how to expand the limits of human endeavor. Heroes awaken our own spirits and carry us forward to a greater purpose within ourselves and in the world.

Every age, every culture, and every person has heroes. I have met far more than my share—a testament to both my age and to the remarkable individuals I have chanced to encounter in a lifelong attachment to Freemasonry. Perhaps the face of the hero is different for me than for the makers of myth. In the world of myth, the hero usually goes off on some long journey to slay a giant or dragon in order to secure a hidden treasure. Or he wins a victory over some evil king. Along the way, he experiences great challenges in quest of his goal. Such stories prove the impossible can come true when the right cause is in harmony with the right resolve.

Of course, we relate most easily to the heroes of our own culture. For instance, every American reveres Washington, every patriot respects Churchill, every liberator esteems Bolivar, and every freethinking person admires Voltaire. All of these men were Freemasons. All of them changed the history of the world for the better and, thus, changed our lives today.

Every generation has its heroes. They bring identity to the collective consciousness. Also, every nation is blessed because of its heroes. As a people, we have lived among great men and women in our time, and they have made us today better than what we were yesterday. That is the importance of heroes and of heroism to the world.

But as I think about the heroes who provide us with the most meaning day in and day out, they are the people we each know and respect the most. They are the fathers who choose to place their families above anything else and thus set the best examples as adult role models for their sons and daughters. They are the mothers who sacrifice so much for their children and teach us, by example, the meaning of unconditional love. They are the teachers who instruct, the doctors and nurses who save lives, the clergy who teach us about compassion and caring, the public officials who serve our communities, the artists who demonstrate there is harmony and beauty in everything, the caregivers who aid the ill and support the afflicted.

Together, they are the untold thousands of human beings who give up a part of themselves and of their own self-interest for no other reason than that they wish to serve. Because of them, our lives are richer and better. They are the real heroes of our time and every time.

In the Degrees of Freemasonry and the Scottish Rite, we learn about the hero's journey. Through the lessons of the Degrees, we are given the means to become better than we are. But it is only when we decide to integrate what we learn from the Degrees into our own lives and actually live the message of the Scottish Rite that we can ourselves become heroes. Thus, because of the examples they provide, I am pleased to dedicate this issue of the Scottish Rite Journal to the heroes of our lives, our times, and our Craft.