Last year as the advent season began I discussed tradition and its value. I reread that article this year as I was thinking about advent and almost re-posted last year’s article. But rather than repeat last years article I want to probe a bit deeper into the idea of tradition and its relationship to faith, hope, and purpose in life.
To destroy tradition is to erase memory, memory requires rehearsal and repetition. If we erase our collective memory we erase our identity. If we lose these things we will steal any sense of history and identity from our children1. Tradition is far more important than I ever imagined when I was younger. People are quick to see the flaws in our traditions and history but slow to see it’s value.
Today we see a horrible identity crisis in young people, I don’t want to be simplistic, but I think it is fair to say that this is at least aggravated by the fact that so many children are raised with no sense of history or tradition. Nothing to anchor them and no sense of who they are or where they come from as a people, and therefore no sense of who they are as an individual. This makes them easy prey for the sellers of perverse ideas regarding so called “identity” that are currently flooding the media and education systems.
Last year I discussed my past as a Lutheran farm boy and while I had very few advantages financially I did have love and a rich identity that flowed from a history that informed and anchored everything I did. To some degree this history defines me to this day. Now that my boys are middle aged I have listened to them describe their childhood and it is interesting what stuck with them and what they value even without realizing how much they value it. It’s little things like Saturday pizza and getting the Christmas tree. It’s cookies, Lebkuchen, Stollen and lights.
These things, though small and by themselves completely unimportant, form memories that anchor their childhood and define who we were and who we are as a family and as individuals. Each of my sons had their favorite and least favorite parts of this season and arguing about it with their brothers helped them to understand who we are as a family and who they are as individuals. They are family and they share a common bond, but they are not all the same.
Advent is one of those traditions that is not technically a Biblical mandate or even a teaching, but it is traditionally a time set aside to remember the gift of God to us at Bethlehem. And a time to remember our hope for the future in Jesus. God has come to us in Jesus and advent reminds us of the absolute mystery and wonder of that event. But advent is also a time to remember that he is coming again to bring final justice to all, and eternal life to all that believe. The mess that self-serving human government has made and continues to make, will one day end. Jesus came once many years ago to serve us and give his life for us and he is coming again, this time to to rule forever.
For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this. (Isaiah 9:6-7 ESV)
This week let’s not allow ourselves to be pushed along by the things we call urgent, and carve out some time to reflect on our history and our future. Let’s allow the wonder of God’s gift to a rebellious and sinful people to soak in a bit. It’s time to fight this anchorless culture and establish a culture and a tradition of remembrance, honor, and hope in Jesus. Start a new tradition or reestablish an old one. Let’s help each other remember that there is real hope for the future in Jesus.
Have a great week!
There were several festivals in ancient Israel designed especially to help people remember and to teach their children their story of God’s faithfulness.
“You shall count seven weeks. Begin to count the seven weeks from the time the sickle is first put to the standing grain. Then you shall keep the Feast of Weeks to the Lord your God with the tribute of a freewill offering from your hand, which you shall give as the Lord your God blesses you. And you shall rejoice before the Lord your God, you and your son and your daughter, your male servant and your female servant, the Levite who is within your towns, the sojourner, the fatherless, and the widow who are among you, at the place that the Lord your God will choose, to make his name dwell there. You shall remember that you were a slave in Egypt; and you shall be careful to observe these statutes. (Deuteronomy 16:9-12 ESV)
