What a crazy idea -- playing a fiddle on the roof of a house! You won’t ever see me on a roof, walking, standing, sitting, OR playing a musical instrument. I would be the shakiest of the shaky. I like to keep my feet planted on terra firma.
But it’s a metaphor. Even though I am not physically on a
roof, navigating the bumps of life is pretty shaky – just about as shaky as a
fiddler on a roof! And that is exactly the point Tevye makes in his opening
monologue:
Life wasn’t easy in Anatevka in 1905. Neither is it easy in
America in 2015. Metaphorically, every one of us is a fiddler on a roof, trying
to serve God and live a good life without falling and breaking our necks.
For sure: it is not easy. Sort of reminds me of Amy Grant’s song:
Tevye anticipates our question, “So how do you keep your
balance?” and his answer is one word: TRADITION! Note that he uses the
singular, not the plural: Tradition, not traditions.
To be sure, he illustrates with several of their local traditions: “How to
sleep. How to eat. How to work. How to wear clothes.” But the power is not in
the specific habits and practices, but in TRADITION itself.
TRADITION as understood by The Free Dictionary:
1. The passing down of elements of a culture from generation to generation, especially
by oral communication: cultural practices that are preserved by tradition.
by oral communication: cultural practices that are preserved by tradition.
2.a. A mode of thought or behavior followed by a people continuously from generation
to generation; a custom or usage: the traditions of
Tibetan Buddhism.
b. A set of such customs and usages viewed as a coherent body of precedents
influencing the present: followed family tradition in dress and manners.
influencing the present: followed family tradition in dress and manners.
3. A precept or a body of precepts that are not written in the sacred book of a religion,
such as the Bible, but are considered holy or true.
such as the Bible, but are considered holy or true.
4. A style or method of an activity or practice, especially of artistic expression, that is
recognized and sometimes imitated: satire in the tradition of Jonathan Swift.
recognized and sometimes imitated: satire in the tradition of Jonathan Swift.
TRADITION, you see, is a good thing, and certain specific
traditions may or may not be good. While some people today are throwing off
all sorts of traditions -- and tradition itself -- they are only hurting
themselves, because their lives will be fuller and more meaningful if they were
to understand value TRADITION.
And while I would quibble with Tevye over the following (I
would change “traditions” to “tradition”), I wholeheartedly support the
philosophy he expresses: “And because of our traditions, every one of us knows
who he is and what God expects him to do. Without our traditions, our lives
would be as shaky as…as...as a fiddler on the roof!”
From the perspective of a disciple, I would say, “Because of our
Tradition, every one of us knows who he or she is, and what God expects us to
do. Without the Christian Tradition, our lives would be as shaky as a fiddler
on the roof!”
Tradition helps us stay the course as disciples. There are some traditions in the church that remind me of who God is and what he wants of me. It is tradition to confess our sins during the service every Sunday. This tradition reminds me that I need to confess my sins and ask for forgiveness. If I forget then I get loaded down by unforgiven sin or worse I start to think that I am not sinning. By confessing every Sunday it reminds me to do so every day.
ReplyDeleteTradition anchors our thoughts and hearts in a way that nothing else can. In a world where all is new and tradition is forgotten or despised, a grounding sense of identify, belonging and place in the greater scheme of things help us make sense of the world and the religious landscape. I find it harder to maintain and practice some traditions with my children that I always assumed I would do, I even pictured what it would be like, for instance, teaching them how to hunt or fish. Fishing we have hung on to, but hunting is a luxury of time and expense that has gone away, at least for several years. When I think of the rich experiences with my father, grandfather, brothers and others, I wonder what I am providing for my own kids to remember and feel a part of. I really miss the practice of singing songs, hymns and choruses, but this is one I can fix just by doing it. A tradition of faith and belief is yet alive and well in my family, and this is a tradition worth keeping.
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