Meandering Around the Grange Way of Life
Fragments of Life
By Walter Boomsma, Guest Columnist
“…reap for the mind as well as for the body. Natural history is replete with both the wonderful and beautiful, and its study enables us the better to carry out the principles we inculcate of Faith, Hope, and Charity. Cultivate an observing mind. It is delightful to acquire knowledge, and much more so to diffuse it. It is sad to think that any human soul should fail to perceive the beauty that everywhere abounds. Nature preaches to us forever in tones of love, and writes truth in all colors, on manuscripts illuminated with stars and flowers.
‘Be faithful, be hopeful, be charitable,’ is the constant song Nature sings, through warbling birds and whispering pines, through roaring waves and howling winds. As Harvesters and Gleaners of this wisdom, teach others how beautiful, how angelic, seems every fragment of life which is earnest and true.
Lecturer to candidates, Lessons of the First Degree
One of the joys of rural living is found in what the Lecturer describes as “fragments of life.” We can often hear warbling birds, whispering pines, roaring waves, and howling winds.
Hearing those may be different than listening to them. Even in the country, we are often overwhelmed by the noise created by competing “fragments of life.” We scroll through social media posts and hear the television or radio calling to us in the background. There is no shortage of things to give our attention.
A gleaner gathers crops or produce left behind after the harvest. As a child, I remember families occasionally being invited to a local potato farm to “glean” potatoes the harvester had missed. The work was hard but enjoyable, and friendly competition was fostered. We came home dirty but bearing a sense of accomplishment.
The lecturer reminds the candidate to “reap for the mind as well as the body.” Just prior to this lesson, the Master noted, “…gather only the good seed. Our associations in life are the fields in which we reap.” A long-standing truism comes to mind: “You are known by the company you keep.”
It’s not a stretch to suggest the lecturer reminds the candidates to be mindful. “Nature preaches to us forever in tones of love, and writes truth in all colors, on manuscripts illuminated with stars and flowers.” It’s a lot harder to find love and truth on a computer or smartphone screen.
I’m not condemning technology, but the Grange Way of Life suggests we keep things in perspective. When we harvest for the mind, we must deliberately consider which fields we harvest and glean. If our purpose is to “inculcate” the principles of Faith, Hope, and Charity, nature is “replete with both the wonderful and beautiful.”
Maybe it’s time to sit in the yard or go for a walk. “Cultivate an observing mind.” It might also be a good idea to take someone with you. Leave the phone at home. Let nature preach. Listen.
Any degree or ritual quotations are from the forty-seventh edition of the 2023 Subordinate Grange Manual or the most recent edition of the Pomona Grange Manual. The views and opinions expressed in “Exploring Traditions” are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official doctrine and policy of the Grange. Information about the book “Exploring Traditions—Celebrating the Grange Way of Life” can be found at http://abbotvillagepress.com, on Mr. Boomsma’s Amazon Author Page, or by contacting the author.