What is Freemasonry?

The word “Lodge” carries two meanings for a Freemason: it is both the place where Masonic meetings are held and the collective name for the members who gather there. Lodges are named by their founding members — after a town, a historical figure, a famous Mason, or a meaningful word or phrase — and every lodge name is followed by a number issued by its Grand Lodge. That number reflects the order in which lodges were chartered; the lower the number, the older the lodge. Justice-Columbia Lodge No. 3, chartered under the Grand Lodge of the District of Columbia, is one of the oldest in the jurisdiction.

Many details found inside a lodge room are drawn from the account of King Solomon’s Temple — built in the tenth century B.C. on Mount Moriah in Jerusalem as a house of God and a home for the Ark of the Covenant. When Freemasonry became a philosophical organization in the 1700s, its founders drew on the symbolism of Solomon’s Temple to give moral and spiritual ideas a tangible, enduring form. That symbolism remains central to Masonic teaching to this day.

At Justice-Columbia Lodge No. 3, members meet monthly. A typical evening includes lodge business, reading of communications from the Grand Lodge, a vote on petitions for membership, and — most importantly — fellowship. Members often host guest speakers or present on Masonic history, philosophy, ritual, or symbolism. A shared meal before the meeting is a cherished tradition, reflecting the simple truth that brotherhood is built around the table as much as in the lodge room.

Belief in God is the single universal requirement of every Freemason. Freemasonry does not prescribe which God, or how a man must worship — that is left entirely to his own conscience and faith tradition. This is the foundation of our universality: men of every monotheistic religion stand as equals within the lodge.

In lodge, the Deity is addressed as the Great Architect of the Universe — a title that transcends any single religion while honoring every man’s reverence for the divine. Whether a Mason prays to God, Allah, Jehovah, or the Deity by another name in his private worship, he finds common ground with every brother under that universal title.

Freemasonry has no formal clergy and binds itself to no single sacred text. Any Volume of Sacred Law — the Bible, the Quran, the Torah, or another — may rest upon the lodge altar. Before any important undertaking, Masons seek guidance through prayer, acknowledging that all wisdom flows from a power greater than themselves. As the old words of the Book of Constitutions put it: Freemasonry is “the religion in which all good men agree.”

Freemasonry has always been a family tradition. At the turn of the twentieth century, nearly every man’s father was a Mason — as was his grandfather, and his grandfather before him. Men sought to pass on what was most valuable: wisdom, integrity, good reputation, and the bonds of brotherhood. Masonry was among their most treasured gifts to the next generation.

There is a special bond that forms between a father and son who share the Craft — built on common experience, common values, and a sense of belonging to something larger than themselves. Distance and the passage of time cannot diminish it. As Masons will tell you: Masonry does not just happen in the lodge — it happens in the heart.

Freemasonry’s reach extends beyond the men of the lodge. Youth organizations connected to the Masonic family offer young people structured programs grounded in Masonic values — including social, athletic, and leadership development. DeMolay International serves young men; Job’s Daughters International and the International Order of Rainbow for Girls serve young women. For adult women, the Order of the Eastern Star is a world-class organization in which Masons and their female relatives serve together in charity and fellowship.

Freemasonry does not solicit members — every man who joins does so of his own free will, moved by something he has seen in a father, an uncle, a neighbor, or a friend. If Masonry has sparked your curiosity, we invite you to ask a Mason about it — or reach out to Justice-Columbia Lodge No. 3 directly.