Born in France on November 30, 1951, under the sign of Sagittarius, Christian Bernard has been the Imperator of AMORC and the Sovereign Grand Master of the TMO since April 12, 1990. Twice re-elected to this office by the Supreme Grand Lodge of AMORC, he is dedicated to the world unity of our Order and works in collaboration with all the Grand Masters.
A Rosicrucian from the age of 15, he served as Grand Master of the French Language Jurisdiction from 1977 to 1993. Prior to that he occupied the office of Grand Secretary and began his work with the Grand Lodge in 1970. Since 1972, his wife Hélène has traveled by his side on the Rosicrucian path and assists him in his work. He is the father of three children, all Rosicrucians, and grandfather to several little ones.
After Rosicrucianism, his second personal passion is soccer. In addition to the affection he feels for all his Fratres and Sorores and for his family, he values the company of his faithful Labrador, Jackson, and like most Rosicrucians, is concerned with ecology and the future of our planet.
Frater Christian Bernard was much esteemed by our late Imperator Ralph Maxwell Lewis, who placed great confidence in him from his earliest years. He has made every effort to show himself worthy of this, and, so long as circumstances permit, he will continue to serve our Order as he has for over 30 years.
Discourse
I wish to speak to you today of Harmony, for Harmony is the sister of Peace. Harmony corresponds to the state of consciousness we experience when we are at peace with ourselves, with others, and with Nature. Thus harmony integrates three levels of expression, which are different, but complementary at the same time. Let us examine each of these three levels and relate them to Rosicrucian philosophy.
First of all, we must be in harmony with ourselves; we must come to accept ourselves. The best way to achieve this is to never compare ourselves with others, because the moment we do, we then judge ourselves inferior or esteem ourselves as superior, resulting in either an inferiority complex or an inflated ego. In both cases the result is a state of disharmony. To avoid this, it is best to begin with the principle that each of us is a unique being and that this uniqueness gives us our worth in God’s view, as well as in the eyes of humanity. Therefore, we should hold to our own standard, comparing ourselves only to ourselves—this being the key to our spiritual evolution.
We must also maintain harmony with others. We know that humans cannot live alone, isolated from each other. We are social beings, prompted by Nature to seek the company of others, with whom we need to live in harmony. This begins with our family, the basic unit of society. If we cannot maintain harmonious relations with our partner, our children, or our brothers and sisters, it will be difficult, if not impossible, to be an instrument of peace among humanity. Of course, discord will arise, but we must make forgiveness and understanding the keystones of family harmony.
It takes two people to create strife. Once strife is produced—be it with a family member, co-worker, neighbor, etc.—let us not become the second point in the triangle of discord.
Along these same lines, Fratres and Sorores, we are each part of the Rosicrucian family. Because of the fraternal bonds uniting us, we should strive for harmonious relations among one another. In approaching discord, we must always begin with the principle that all discord between us is an offense to our Brotherhood. Thus when discord arises among us, it is our duty to substitute harmony. If we fail to do this, we are not worthy to be called “mystics” and are no better than those whose behavior we deplore in the “profane” world.
The third level of harmony is to know Nature herself. From the mystical point of view, the Earth is the temple of humanity, just as our body is the temple of our soul. The Earth is truly the Mother of all living beings that populate her. She is a living, conscious being. Through ignorance, negligence, or self-interest humanity has placed Earth in gravest peril through pollution, intensive deforestation, and extensive exploitation of resources. To continue down this path will lead to tragedy. As Rosicrucians, let us serve as examples of those who reverence the Earth and all she contains. Let us never forget that she is the vehicle of Universal Soul, as is manifested throughout all the living kingdoms of Nature.
In summary, Harmony includes the love of self, others, and of Nature. These are the three levels of the expression of Universal Love for human beings. Once these three levels of love become part of our personality and behavior, we will live in perfect resonance with the God of our Hearts and know Peace Profound, for therein lies our source of happiness and the key to Cosmic Illumination.
So Mote It Be!
