Tradition!

One of my all time favorite movies is Fiddler On The Roof!  It opens with the lead character Tevye explaining who he is and that living in his world as a Jew is like being a fiddler on a roof.  He goes on to explain that Tradition is what keeps him from falling and breaking his neck.  When asked why they do certain things he answers with a simple "I don't know. But it's tradition."  I believe that most people are like Tevye.  There are things that we do every day and every year that are tradition and we do them for traditions sake.  For tradition brings both confusion and comfort.  However, the comfort far outweighs the confusion that the act brings.

I want to talk about tradition, because we are in the midst of the advent season.  Some may even not realize that the Christmas season is properly called advent.  That is what happens when traditions are done without thinking of the reason it was started to begin with.  The season of advent was created as a way to begin the Christian calendar.  We start by remembering how important it was for Messiah to come when He did and to remember that He will come again.  During this time we focus on 4 things which Jesus brought: Hope, Peace, Love, & Joy.  These are what we should be focusing on.  Instead, we have allowed our traditions to morph over the years without question.  Even things that start out good such as the giving of gifts and story of Saint Nicolas slowly turn bad by emphasizing wealth and deifying Santa Claus.

Traditions can go awry.  So when we are faced with a difficult situation we must do as Tevye learned to do.  He first figured out if something was a tradition or was truly an immovable part of his faith.  If it was part of his faith than, however hard it was, he had to choose his faith.  But, if it was tradition he stopped to think if it was essential that the tradition continue, be modified, or if it could be done with.  In doing so he inadvertently allowed for new tradition to begin.

We must always be willing to ask questions like Tevye.  For if we do not, are traditions will become our undoing.  So I want to challenge you to look at your Christmas traditions and ask yourself why you do them.  You may end up deciding to do away with or change some of your traditions.  You may also decide to rotate some of your traditions.  For example, this year instead of an advent wreath my wife and I will be doing an advent calendar together instead.  Sometimes a tradition just needs some rest.  You may even create an all new tradition.  One that my family started last year and will continue this year is joining others to tell the good news of Jesus on Christmas Eve to those who may not know Him.

I hope and pray that no matter what you do this advent season that you make it Christ centered and not tradition centered.

Merry Christmas!