A Mason's Work

In this concluding episode of the series, Right Worshipful Brother Michael Arce shares a lived example of how the symbolic “world” manifests in unexpected places—including digital ones. Through a story of cooperation, conflict, and moral choice inside an online game, he reveals how the same patterns of trust, effort, equality, and ethical testing found in Freemasonry appear in the wider world. The result is a reflection on belonging, character, and the universal human search for connection.

🔑 Key Takeaways
  • Digital spaces recreate the same moral tests and relational dynamics found in real life
  • Equality and contribution can flourish when identity and status fall away
  • Freemasonry provides a durable, real-world framework for connection that transcends digital interactions
💬 Featured Quotes
  • 0:01:32–0:01:39 — “We were able to become friends through the evening… I spent more time hanging out with strangers than I did with real friends that week.”
  • 0:03:07–0:03:14 — “In this digital video game environment… that equality that we seek in life… it exists.”
  • 0:03:21–0:03:28 — “In this world, this digital world, we're only judged by our effort and our contributions to the game, just like in Freemasonry.”
  • 0:03:40–0:03:47 — “Your sense of decency gets tested when your squad is just randomly attacked by another squad.”
  • 0:04:39–0:04:46 — “We fear that we might also act just as selfishly as other people do.”
  • 0:05:12–0:05:18 — “We're ultimately the player in this game.”
  • 0:06:03–0:06:10 — “The digital quest… confirms that hunger that we have, that we're looking to find a sustainable real connection.”
  • 0:06:26–0:06:34 — “You're listening because you're seeking that same light too.”
🔗 Explore Related Episodes
Cognitive Dissonance and the Work of the Craft
Explores the gap between who we believe ourselves to be and how we act—mirrored in this episode’s exploration of moral testing within anonymity.
Staying Unfinished – Holding Tension Between Work and Result
Reflects the ongoing, imperfect work of growth, paralleling how digital interactions expose real blind spots and opportunities for refinement.

Creators and Guests

Guest
RW Michael Arce
RW Michael Arce is plural member of Mount Zion Lodge No. 311, Troy, New York and St. John’s Lodge No. 11, Washington, DC. In May of 2023, he was appointed to the Grand Representative to the Grand Lodge of the District of Columbia near the Grand Lodge of New York. He is also the host of The Craftsmen Online Podcast.

What is A Mason's Work?

In this show we discuss the practical applications of masonic symbolism and how the working tools can be used to better yourself, your family, your lodge, and your community. We help good freemasons become better men through honest self development. We talk quite a bit about mental health and men's issues related to emotional and intellectual growth as well.