I' m reading a very good book by Rubel Shelly "I Knew Jesus Before He was aChristian .... and I Liked Him Better Then".
The current chapter deals with tradition and it made me think about my past. When I got out of college, I was ready to change the world and take it into the future. I pledged to myself that my architecture would be contemporary. No "Colonial, early American gothic" for me. I thought the same way about church. We are still singing songs of the 1700's and in King James' version of the Bible. I wanted new and bold.
My first pledge lasted almost two years until I was asked to work on an addition to a Colonial Church. for the record I did not do colonial architecture, but it caused me to see the qualities that makes it stand the test of time. But I still was not buying in.
In church I sought congregations that were more progressive. At least in the Church of Christ. I DID get to try many progressive things and was pleased.
Advance a few years: I was having lunch with my guru, Dan McCaghren, and we were talking about tradition. He, knowing my thinking said, "Mike, the biggest need in our fast changing society today is tradition. He went on to say that family traditions fall because of the neglect of spending time and being together. He said that people need something to depend on being there and having something to fall back on as safe and comfortable.
In my life today an old hymn from my childhood is as welcome as a favorite family photo.
I have learned great respect for the architecture created by Thomas Jefferson.
I still like Santa, but the Advent story is fantastic. I have even just discovered the magic and the majesty of "The Lord's Prayer" in the same way I discovered anew "Psalms 23".
I still have no use for traditionalism. Hanging on to things for no reason!
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