Differences enhance our lives and enable us to learn from one another as we advance the brotherhood of the Scottish Rite of Freemasonry.

Recently, while listening to a choir perform a beautiful rendition of a familiar hymn, I was impressed not only by the fact that the choir was composed of various different voices, ranging from bass to soprano, but also that each voice was at a different level of musical ability. Yet they sang together beautifully and produced a melody that stirred everyone in the audience. This was a perfect example of the old axiom, “The whole is worth more than the sum of its parts.” Had any one of the choir members offered the same song individually, his or her performance would have lacked the power and harmony of the entire choir singing together.

What a great analogy to our roles in the Scottish Rite. Even though we come from different backgrounds and have various fields of expertise, together we form an entity that can work in harmony and achieve much. If there is one thing we have in common, it is that we are different. And these differences enhance our lives and enable us to learn from one another as we strive toward our unified goal of advancing the brotherhood of the Scottish Rite.

At a recent Reunion in the Valley of Miami, I became keenly aware of the diversity of the Brethren involved in the ceremonies. Miami is a culturally diverse city, and the Miami Scottish Rite is a mirror image of that diversity. Many nationalities and cultures as well as a wide range of ages were represented at our Reunion. Yet I was impressed at the cohesiveness as everyone fulfilled their assigned tasks.

Although we are different, we are the same. We may be different in race, creed, and national origin, but we are the same in hopes, aspirations, and needs. Learning to appreciate our differences and concentrating more on our sameness will enhance our ability to work together in harmony.

As in a choir, some among us have trained “voices” that enable them to render solos. However, it is when the chorus of other voices is added that the song becomes powerful.

We need each voice in our Scottish Rite “choir” singing with gusto. See you at choir practice!

Patrick C. Palmer, Valley of Miami, is a systems analyst for the Veterans Administration Hospital in Miami. He was raised in Lincoln Lodge #34, Olongapo, Zambales, Republic of the Philippines, is a Past Master of Oleeta West Dade Lodge #145, Miami Springs, Florida, is a member of the Executive Board of the Miami Scottish Rite Bodies, and serves as Web master for the Miami Scottish Rite Bodies: www.aasrmiami.org. Contacts: 248 Navajo Street, Miami Springs, Florida 33166-5121; fiuprof@hotmail.com