From the East,
Hail Brothers and Fellowes Well-Met! Today I write you from the East with more than a touch of sadness. It is with sorrow and deep regret that I write to inform you of the passing of one of our own. RWB Robert L. Hopkins.
RWB Rob was past master of Herndon Lodge #264 (1994) and former District Deputy for Districts 4 & 58 (2005), both in the Grand Lodge of Virginia AF & AM. RWB Rob left his worldly cares behind in Portland Oregon on Saturday, January 12th at 1:00PM Pacific time after a long illness. His passing was quiet and peaceful. Not more than two hours before he passed, the brothers at Friendship voted to give him a life membership.
RWB Rob affiliated to Friendship Lodge only last year, after moving to Portland to live with his daughter while fighting his illness. He came at that point from Warren G Harding Lodge #260 in Poulsbo WA. Despite his health, he jumped right in at Friendship and became an integral, active member much loved by the brethren. His knowledge of ritual and tradition were unparalleled – and this despite coming to us from other jurisdictions. Let me thank you in advance, brothers, for your thoughts and prayers for RWB Rob’s family. We know that he himself has passed beyond all such cares, having recently heard certain words from his Creator reflected in the Book of Matthew, 25:23.
We’ll be holding a Masonic service on Saturday, February 8th, at the Kenton Temple. The Lodge will be opened at 10:00AM on the Entered Apprentice Degree. We’ll go to refreshment and invite the public in for a memorial ceremony.
Afterwards, there will be light snacks in the dining hall. Once the guests have departed, the brethren will return to labor, reflect a moment, and close on the Lodge on the Entered Apprentice Degree.
Times like this remind us of the transience of life. Yet, at the same time, we see the continuity. I think that, perhaps, we discover the immortality of the soul in two places at once. First, we think of the essential soul – of whatever composition – and the eternal position it holds as one piece of (or one perspective on) the Universe: an immaterial ashlar, if you will, in a material Temple. Second, we see the work that a single soul has completed within the span of at least one human lifetime – work that is made eternal by the part it plays in the construction of the greatest of all Temples. The work by a craftsman is of course the work he does on his own ashlar – chipping away. One chip is perhaps a happiness – a college degree or wedding license. Another is maybe a sadness – a loss, a broken heart or some other disappointment. Yet all the chips serve to smooth and perfect the ashlar. One day, the ultimate Grand Master and overseer of the work calls to the craftsman in question. He inspects the finished product, pronounces it perfected, and assigns it its proper place in the Temple under construction. There, that work – just like the soul of its craftsman – will outlast all lives, and all ages. Immortal, Eternal.
With fraternal love,
WM K R Smith
