History or Tradition
Trip Start
Apr 26, 2009
1
14
50
Trip End
Sep 01, 2009
Jerusalem,
Israel
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
So there are some so committed to the history and an absurd level of historical, Biblical precision that they scoff at and mock all the religious practices. As (mostly Roman Catholic and Orthodox) groups go by walking the Way of the Cross on the via Dolorosa, I can see the looks and hear the snide comments. I can see some people in procession far more concerned about who's looking at them than what they are praying.
Then I realize that there are likely people in those processions who've looked very little at all the archeological excavations and learned very little of the history of this place and all the people who've lived here over the millenia. It seems that some of them can only see this place through the very narrow and dim lens of their tradition.
Today, we walked through the tunnel under the Western Wall. A friend had given me a prayer on a small piece of paper and asked me to place it in the wall as we visited, and I did so. I watched the deep devotion of many faithful jewish men and women and learned the history of this holy hill, the Temple Mount. Well, praying in Hebrew and wearing fringes aren't my tradition, but it's beautiful nonetheless. The history here, however, is my history as a Christian. The presence of God, God's saving acts in this city and through the people of Israel are the most basic part of salvation history, or the Kingdom of Heaven.
We visited more of the city, and we looked at the layers of culture after culture, empire after empire, that left their mark on this place. We saw the most beautiful houses that have been excavated in the Jewish Quarter and walked along the southern wall where piles of Herod's beautifully-cut stones lay in ruins from when the Romans destroyed the Temple in 70 A.D.
So many of these ups and downs arose-and still arise-out of two important issues for us. First, they arise when people neglect their history. Second, they arise when people see a need to assert the superiority, not of their theology, but of their tradition or to spurn tradition altogether. Even today, churches' bells try to outring the Moslem calls to prayer every day (it's actually quite beautiful).
I wonder if it's possible to learn and love our history, to be devoted to and practice faithfully our tradition, and to graciously make room for others. I wonder if it's possible to make room without having to have this watered-down, 'oh all religions are basically the same' kind of approach. I wonder if we can be committed with our very lives to our faith-our distinctive Christian faith-without needing to be arrogant or violent about it.
We need to be more committed to learning our history. We need to be more committed to practicing our tradition. We need to be both absolutely generous and absolutely uncompromising about the life-saving truth of the Gospel.
