Sshh. Not a sound could be heard. Not through the whole town, not in any home, and specially not this House. All were fast asleep. The night was still and dark, colder than most. Clear and crisp air cloaked the nimble shadow that crept to the side door. The doorlock was plied with a softly glowing key that was burnished by centuries of careful use.
The Family was sleeping, but only hours ago they had all been feverishly working. Laughter, gaiety, and warmth filled the House as they had all gathered round to apply the finishing touches to the House's decorations. At last, the final fragile ornament, a beautifully painted pastel-tinted egg, hung upon the spindly dogwood. All the eggs dangled from the branches, gently moving as they were touched by the breath of air circulating through the room; it was a picture reminiscent of that tree from paradise, the fruit gently hanging from its branches, swaying in the soft breeze of the garden. In spite of itself, the little dogwood practically bloomed in the bright, cheerful light of the Family's glowing faces. The labour all finished, the family gazed on the sight once more, and then happily, excitedly lay in their beds and drifted off to sleep one by one.
Without fail, it would creak. But not this morning. It was indeed morning; still dark, still night, but that darkest and stillest part just before the first peep of light, when all seems to be most asleep. As he slowly pushed the door open to slip in to the Family's mudroom. He took in the sight carefully, noting the little pairs of boots all lined up and caked with yesterday's mud. "Yes, it was good that I packed carefully." He even thought in a whisper, lest he disturb the sleepers and rouse someone to spy out his mission. He stole into the center of the house to find the dogwood just where he knew it would be. Silently, he lowered his knapsack to the floor and spread out the gifts, placing them gently and quickly under the tree. Soon there was a pile of baskets crowded under the tree, a pile that belied the size of both the knapsack and the Rabbit that carried it. Then he was gone.
The sky had barely turned a faded greenish navy hue when Boy's eyes flashed open. It had come! Morning was here! They must hurry if they are to be on time. Ever so quickly, he rushes to rouse the rest of the House, to find only little Sister still asleep. Get up! Get dressed! It will never do to be late to the sunrise service. The sun would not wait for them. And afterwards, oh! the scrumptious breakfast, the hot cross buns, the Easter Egg hunt, oh, such surprises this morning always held.
And the tree. Boy almost forgot all about the tree. Then he heard a faint sound from the living room, and it all came back to him. Did they come? He had to go see; there was even less time to waste now than ever. He rushed hurriedly to finish, he ran to the room that held the best surprise of all, and almost doubtingly entered the room. He hesitated as he looked across the scene, for it was as if this room were sacred. But Mother and Dad were there, they seemed satisfied, ready, waiting. It was true. All the gifts he had hoped for, all the celebration for which he'd patiently and eagerly waited so many weeks; they were there. And the tree; the tree stood silently, but growing brighter as the rising morning light pushed the Family out the door.
Oh, friends. Would this day mean anything without the tree? Had the tree not come, certainly the fruit would not have come; certainly the Seed would never have held such promise. Could the real Son have come, had not the tree come?
_______________________________________
This is satire. If you don't get it, do not assume that it is simple fiction.
Showing posts with label tradition. Show all posts
Showing posts with label tradition. Show all posts
Monday, March 22, 2010
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
Tradition and Truth (or, "Observance of Days, Times, and Seasons, Become Common. Contrasted with Truth")
Today, I hear it more and more -- I hear it in Christian Club at school, I see it in the lives of my friends and acquaintances, I see it in the church -- a following after traditions and celebrations, an observing of this day or that day, seasons that Christians make a special effort to set apart.
In the 1940s, A. W. Tozer said “From this bondage reformers and puritans and mystics have laboured to free us. Today, the trend in conservative circles is back toward that bondage again. It is said that a horse, after it has been led out of a burning building, will sometimes, by a strange obstinacy, break loose from its rescuer and dash back into the building again to perish in the flame. By some such stubborn tendency toward error, fundamentalism in our day is moving back toward spiritual slavery. The observation of days and times is becoming more and more prominent among us. “Lent” and “holy week” and “good” Friday are words heard more and more frequently upon the lips of gospel Christians.” [One might easily add “christmas” and “advent” to this list.]
How much more enslaved to tradition are we today? Tozer saw what he saw sixty years ago – now, we have sixty more years of life behind us, and now those who grew up observing times and seasons are not mere children, but the pre-eminent people in the church. What do we have today? Are we not more entrenched in our observances than ever before?
I hate tradition. I hate tradition, because, even though it often is begun with a real purpose (as a means to accomplishing an end), it often ends up controlling our lives – the tradition itself becomes an end in itself – it usurps the value and the authority of the initial reason it even exists!
“I hate, I despise your feast days, and I will not smell in your solemn assemblies. Though ye offer me burnt offerings and your meat offerings, I will not accept them: neither will I regard the peace offerings of your fat beasts. Take thou away from me the noise of thy songs; for I will not hear the melody of thy viols. But let judgment run down as waters, and righteousness as a mighty stream.
– Amos 5:21-24
Traditions should only exist to serve a purpose greater than themselves. If they do not plainly serve that purpose, they cease to be useful. In fact, they become worse than useless – they shackle the mind and begin to enslave, yes, enslave our will, so that we no longer live or fight for a goal or purpose that is valuable in and of itself, but we begin to fight for the tradition. This is horror of the greatest magnitude. To zealously go into battle for something that has no intrinsic value is utterly ridiculous.
“Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.”
– Colossians 2:8
The only thing that is of real intrinsic value for any intellectual life activity is truth. At the root of all conflict, of all science, of all things worth fighting for, you will find truth. It is the one thing worth dying for. “I’m right and you’re wrong” we say as individuals. We say it as nations too: “you can’t treat people that way – it’s not decent, it’s not human – it’s not right!”
If truth is worth dying for, if it is worth fighting for, it is certainly worth living for! That is why I am here – to tell you, if you haven’t realized it already; to drive it home to you, if you’ve been thinking about it; and to encourage you, if you know it already – if truth is not the ruling principle in your life, you will end your life with nothing of any real value to you.
“Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding.”
– Proverbs 4:7
Thus, our most important pursuit in life is to know and act on truth; to live our lives by it. Anything less is worse than useless. "You shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free" True freedom is found only in Truth.
"Be a lover of truth. Let neither majority nor authority be more important to you than truth."
– Dennis Carrol
The only real authority is derived from truth. Truth is not determined by popular vote, for it remains the same whether or not the whole world refuses to acknowledge it. Truth is not determined by authority, by the word of a leader, for many is the leader who has led through falsehood and deception.
"Buy the truth, and sell it not; also wisdom, and instruction, and understanding."
– Proverbs 23:23
Truth of supreme importance, and because of its importance, our lives must be led by his guide. Truth does us no good if we know it and yet ignore it through our actions. We must know it and live by it. "The lip of truth shall be established forever: but a lying tongue is but for a moment." (Proverbs 12:19) If you settle for less than truth in your life, in your motives, in your actions, your life is wasted. "For what shall it profit a man if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?" (Mark 8:36)
In the 1940s, A. W. Tozer said “From this bondage reformers and puritans and mystics have laboured to free us. Today, the trend in conservative circles is back toward that bondage again. It is said that a horse, after it has been led out of a burning building, will sometimes, by a strange obstinacy, break loose from its rescuer and dash back into the building again to perish in the flame. By some such stubborn tendency toward error, fundamentalism in our day is moving back toward spiritual slavery. The observation of days and times is becoming more and more prominent among us. “Lent” and “holy week” and “good” Friday are words heard more and more frequently upon the lips of gospel Christians.” [One might easily add “christmas” and “advent” to this list.]
How much more enslaved to tradition are we today? Tozer saw what he saw sixty years ago – now, we have sixty more years of life behind us, and now those who grew up observing times and seasons are not mere children, but the pre-eminent people in the church. What do we have today? Are we not more entrenched in our observances than ever before?
I hate tradition. I hate tradition, because, even though it often is begun with a real purpose (as a means to accomplishing an end), it often ends up controlling our lives – the tradition itself becomes an end in itself – it usurps the value and the authority of the initial reason it even exists!
“I hate, I despise your feast days, and I will not smell in your solemn assemblies. Though ye offer me burnt offerings and your meat offerings, I will not accept them: neither will I regard the peace offerings of your fat beasts. Take thou away from me the noise of thy songs; for I will not hear the melody of thy viols. But let judgment run down as waters, and righteousness as a mighty stream.
– Amos 5:21-24
Traditions should only exist to serve a purpose greater than themselves. If they do not plainly serve that purpose, they cease to be useful. In fact, they become worse than useless – they shackle the mind and begin to enslave, yes, enslave our will, so that we no longer live or fight for a goal or purpose that is valuable in and of itself, but we begin to fight for the tradition. This is horror of the greatest magnitude. To zealously go into battle for something that has no intrinsic value is utterly ridiculous.
“Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.”
– Colossians 2:8
The only thing that is of real intrinsic value for any intellectual life activity is truth. At the root of all conflict, of all science, of all things worth fighting for, you will find truth. It is the one thing worth dying for. “I’m right and you’re wrong” we say as individuals. We say it as nations too: “you can’t treat people that way – it’s not decent, it’s not human – it’s not right!”
If truth is worth dying for, if it is worth fighting for, it is certainly worth living for! That is why I am here – to tell you, if you haven’t realized it already; to drive it home to you, if you’ve been thinking about it; and to encourage you, if you know it already – if truth is not the ruling principle in your life, you will end your life with nothing of any real value to you.
“Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding.”
– Proverbs 4:7
Thus, our most important pursuit in life is to know and act on truth; to live our lives by it. Anything less is worse than useless. "You shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free" True freedom is found only in Truth.
"Be a lover of truth. Let neither majority nor authority be more important to you than truth."
– Dennis Carrol
The only real authority is derived from truth. Truth is not determined by popular vote, for it remains the same whether or not the whole world refuses to acknowledge it. Truth is not determined by authority, by the word of a leader, for many is the leader who has led through falsehood and deception.
"Buy the truth, and sell it not; also wisdom, and instruction, and understanding."
– Proverbs 23:23
Truth of supreme importance, and because of its importance, our lives must be led by his guide. Truth does us no good if we know it and yet ignore it through our actions. We must know it and live by it. "The lip of truth shall be established forever: but a lying tongue is but for a moment." (Proverbs 12:19) If you settle for less than truth in your life, in your motives, in your actions, your life is wasted. "For what shall it profit a man if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?" (Mark 8:36)
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