I have always been a skeptic of tradition and ceremony. I feel they are exaggerated, often meaningless and silly. For what ever reason people decide that we need to organize big events which are long, dull and terribly inconvenient. All this fuss about something that might not even matter in a few years.
In contrast to the above stated feelings I must confess that I have always been a big fan of tradition and ceremony. Something inside me has always revolted against those who attack traditions as empty and pointless. This has often been a revolt within myself. Mostly likely it is my religious upbringing. I find deep meaning and significance in symbols and rituals. Indeed I have often regretted that my particular church dose not have more traditions. It seems that the Lord's Supper and Baptism are the only real traditions of my church. Of course if tradition and ritual was all I was after I would only have to look about me to the many religions and cultural organization that are rich in tradition and symbolism.
Traditions can and do become empty, there is no doubt about it. But that is no excuse for not having them. Traditions are to remind us of things, not be become the thing they represent, but we tend to forget that fact. It is but a shadow. I wonder, perhaps, if idolatry is when a symbol becomes more important than the thing it is a shadow of. False gods who are empty because they can never be the thing they were only meant to point to.
I can't reject tradition though at times it is tempting. For traditions can help us remember and understand things which we might forget. They are like sign posts marking the path. But though we may look to the sign posts for guidance we can not stay there. Because a sign can never get you where you are going, it can only point the way.
So here is a toast to tradition.
Long life and may you ever be full of meaning.
Nice post, chap. I think that as long as the tradition points to something that is good and true, and that something is remembered and understood by all who practice the tradition, then tradition has value. On the other hand, as you said, "Traditions are to remind us of things, not be become the thing they represent, but we tend to forget that fact." But worse than that, there are many traditions that essentially have no meaning; things that we do because "we've always done that," but there is no real purpose behind it. Excellent point in explaining that tradition is but a shadow. Thank God the reality is found in Christ (Col 2:17)!
ReplyDeleteCouldn't have said that better, Mandrew. There are people who celebrate traditions for the act itself, rather than for its meaning. I guess that as long as you know the meaning, you can celebrate however you prefer to. The important thing, as you said, is that we celebrate the meaning and apply it in our lives. One does not simply graduate when one gets a piece of paper, after all.
ReplyDelete"Because a sign can never get you where you are going, it can only point the way. " -nice, well put. So, does this mean you attended commencement or not?
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