Actors in a Broadway show are immersed in the character they are playing in that show. Their entire existence is contained within the three walls of the stage. When an actor becomes aware that they are only a character in a show and notices that there is an audience watching them, they will sometimes step outside of their character and engage with the audience. This is called “breaking the fourth wall”. They are, in a sense, breaking the invisible barrier between the world that is happening on the stage and the world that is observing them off the stage.
As Masons, we are taught of the immortality of the soul. Is there a connection between breaking our own fourth wall and being Masons? We must realize that we are not just moving through the timeline of life. We must be aware that we can step outside of ourselves and realize
the importance of not just knowing we each have our own fourth wall to break through but putting in place the practices to actually break through that invisible barrier into the world around us. Realizing that we are souls having a human experience is realizing there is a fourth wall in which to break through. Masonry gives each of us the tools. It is up to us to use those tools to look within in order to break through our own fourth wall.
It is also through these practices that we become aware that it may not be the esoteric, the fellowship, the history, or the ritual that brings us together but that those topics are merely the catalyst for forming the unbreakable bonds we all share. The honor and respect that should be at the forefront of what we do as Masons to each other and to all human beings that have a claim upon our kind offices. It is also the connections we make through our mutual interests based on a solid common foundation that will ensure this Fraternity lasts for generations to come.
Fraternally,
Worshipful Bro. Peter