A Redefining of Interfaith

A Redefining of Interfaith

By: Rev. Jay Speights, D.Min.


According to a 2014 Pew Research Center Survey, the number of Americans not identifying with any organized religion increased from 35,000, 000 to 56,000,000 or 22.8% of the U.S. population since its 2007 study, putting this group ahead of Catholics and just a few percentage points behind Evangelicals. It is important for us to understand where our burgeoning Interfaith Movement fits among these 56,000,000 Americans not identifying with any organized religion. This group has many labels, the unchurched, nones or unaffiliated.

The overwhelming majority of the nones might just be like-minded people, who do or could, fit comfortably under contemporary interfaith umbrella. If this were true, this would place us at the nucleus of the 56,000, 000 nones. By attaching ourselves to this larger demographic and being more expansive about our own identity, our Interfaith Approach takes on new meaning. We are larger than we think and perhaps we are entering a new age of enlightenment.

You could argue the labels like none or unchurched do not capture the essence of who belongs to this group of 56,000,000. Proper labeling for groups and individuals is important and can be diminishing. We see the effects of this everyday. If there is negative intent behind the label or if it does not quite capture the essence what is being labeled, prejudicial filters come into play. By referring to 56,000,00 people as unchurched, nones or unaffiliated is negative labeling and implies that there is something wrong with not identifying with an organized religion. There is an implication that conformity is valued as well as prescriptive living.

Many of my friends, my interfaith community and this author are part of this 56,000,00. According to the Pew Survey, these 56,000,000 people span all age groups and racial and financial demographics. Surely many of us have received far more than enough admonishments and challenges about our spiritual choice and some have most likely experienced shifts in relationships as well. Religious affiliation is a major part of self identification and community acceptance. It is still broadly assumed by many Americans that everyone should belong to an organized religion and that preferred religion is Christianity.

Another way to define this group of 56,000,000 is The "Spiritually Liberated". Who are they? The spiritually liberated could be those who have deeply pondered the mystery of creation, the theology of their particular faith tradition, relationship with God and decided that they no longer need to stretch to conform to the demands of a particular religion. They could also include those who have yet to experience God firsthand, and do not find the sacred text of mainstream religions or their theologies either compelling or relevant to their condition and life path. This is probably what comprises the overwhelming majority of this book.

Let's not forget that globalization has caused cultures and faith traditions to interact more frequently and on a deeper level. Through these encounters, many find reason to question and challenge their religious beliefs and tenets and decide on a new path. The mobility of our globalized society has also resulted in mixed marriages and extended families where a child or children may identify with a religion other than the ones of either parent. Thus creating a household of multiple belongers, where all traditions under the roof are honored and maybe practiced. It is far easier for members of these households to identify as none as far as religious affiliation is concerned.

There are other important factors to consider. First, some in this group could have found organized religion too confining, not expansive enough and are more purely ecumenical in their beliefs and find truth and wisdom in many religions. There are also the "true seekers" who are on an earnest journey to find a path. Of course there are also those with who  are now more than ever, more comfortable with no longer identifying with a faith tradition for the sake of identifying and conforming to fit in with a community and are stepping into their authenticity.

All of these people are moving towards a form of "Liberating Spirituality”, where there are no interposing middleman such as a the institutional trappings associated with organized religion stretching them with burdensome demands, which creates such an overwhelming inner tension that compels them to separate or risk the total subjugation and diminishment of their Divine Unique Inner Light. In moving into this Liberating Spirituality, they are no longer constrained by the guilt of considering other truths as it relates to God and existence. This Liberating Spirituality is based on a Divine experience calling them to be wholly vested in their uniqueness and a new understanding of creation where many become aware of the unity of all things.

This Liberating Spirituality is usually based on a Divine experience resulting in a deepening where you become wholly vested in your uniqueness with a new understanding of creation and an awareness of the unity of all things. The spiritually liberated find comfort, guidance, healing, solace and wisdom in the tenets, rituals, sacred texts and practices from many faith traditions, that can be applied in life, spiritual practices and ministry. It is a complete redefinition of Interfaith because it is a departure from a compartmentalized based approach where faith traditions are honored but seen as largely different with some common truths. Liberating spirituality approaches the various faith traditions as uniquely revealed Divine Expressions of universal truths. It is a true celebration of the gifts of diversity.

The search for sameness is a search for conformity. It implies a need to affirm your truth and that, that truth is the standard for judging all others. This is the basis for most of the global inter-religious tension and conflict.  There is no room for diversity in this worldview. It's us against them or Christian against Muslim, Muslim against Jew, etc. Differences become the basis for dialogue and the filter for determining the value of other beliefs. This need to be absolutely right in your truth makes that of any other group wrong and therefore your enemy.

A search for a different truth, one that may challenge your core beliefs, and to embrace it, is a movement towards what Howard Thurman referred to as "restoring the memory of a lost harmony". This lost harmony is a reference to the Garden of Eden where all things were equal, different and a glorious manifestation of The Grand  Divine Design. Eden represents an inner awareness of the unity of all things.





 

The Indiana Religious Freedom Bill and LGBTQ discrimination

 The Indiana Religious Freedom Bill and LGBTQ discrimination

By: Edwin Greenlee

When the Indiana State legislature passed the Religious Freedom Restoration Act in late March of 2015, and Governor Pence signed it, they had no idea the political firestorm that their actions would cause.  Social justice groups throughout the country saw this legislation as a way to use religious belief, ambiguously defined, as an excuse by some businesses to refuse to serve someone if doing so would “substantially burden” their deeply held religious beliefs.

In the context of the legal struggle around marriage equality, it has been federal courts, including the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals which is responsible for Indiana, striking down as unconstitutional state ‘defense of marriage’ laws which prohibited same sex couples from marrying.  As a nation we await arguments before the US Supreme Court this month and the Court’s decision that will most likely be issued in late June. The question that the Court has charged the attorneys with arguing is whether there is a constitutional right to same sex marriage under the 14^th amendment.

In the midst of court action striking down the “Defense of Marriage Acts” (or DOMAs) throughout the nation, a number of states, beginning with Indiana, has responded by passing “Religious Freedom Restoration Acts” which purportedly enhance freedom. But in any state that does not explicitly protect LGBTQ individuals from discrimination, this new law would allow individuals and businesses to discriminate and those individuals and businesses that discriminate would be protected by the law. 

Such laws are full of ambiguities and difficulties. Different actors and actions would burden a person’s “religious beliefs” if they were a Unitarian Universalist, a progressive Reform Jew, a member of the United Church of Christ or the Society of Friends (Quaker) than if they were a member of fundamentalist nondenominational Christian Church.  Often laws like this assume that religious individuals are conservative, Christian, biblical literalists who oppose same sex marriage and a woman’s right to choose.

And what about individuals who profess a progressive religious faith that is burdened daily by racial and gender discrimination, governmental cuts in our social safety net programs, and by an economic system that is dramatically unequal?  Religious individuals and the values they hold encompass a wide range.  In the sphere of religion, government has no business in choosing those whose values will be supported and those whose values will be ignored or suppressed.

America has a long history of the separation of church / religion and the state.  Both church and state suffer from entanglement. While freedom of religion allows you and me to affirm particular religious values, it does not allow either of us to enshrine our beliefs into law.  Particularly if doing so would discriminate against other individuals.    Many political pundits see the Indiana law, and similar bills in Arkansas, Georgia, and a number of other states, as concessions to the political far right.

As we have seen since Governor Pence signed SB-568 into law, no one is happy with these laws. Most prominently, not only are LBGBTQ advovacy groups showing their displeasure but so are large businesses like Apple, sporting groups like NASCAR, church groups like the Disciples of Christ, and even Angie’s List.  Discrimination of any sort is bad for business. It is bad for communities and states and nations. It is bad for America.  And discrimination is particularly bad for churches and other religious organizations.

As some commentators point out, discrimination of all sorts have employed the rhetoric of religious freedom.  Wake Forest Law Professor Michael Kent Curtis found that “many segregationists justified racial bigotry on the very same grounds that religious conservatives now hope to justify anti-gay animus. In the words of one professor at a prominent Mississippi Baptist institution, “our Southern segregation way is the Christian way . . . . [God] was the original segregationist.” [1] When twenty-first century religion builds on a history of discrimination in America and allies itself with politicians from the right, more and more Americans will come to the conclusion that organized religion is more about discrimination and hate than love and justice. That is NOT a comfortable place for Americans in 2015. Religious leaders and individuals of all faith traditions need to offer dignity to everyone; to embrace those who society casts to its margins; and to strive for a world of equality where the ugliness of discrimination is something to read about in a history book, not to create in our communities and our nation today.

[1] Michael Kent Curtis, A Unique Religious Exemption From Antidiscrimination Laws in the Case of Gays? Putting the Call for Exemptions for Those Who Discriminate Against Married or Marrying Gays in Context, Wake Forest Law Review, 2012, http://wakeforestlawreview.com/2012/04/a-unique-religious-exemption-from-antidiscrimination-laws-in-the-case-of-gays-putting-the-call-for-exemptions-for-those-who-discriminate-against-married-or-marrying-gays-in-context/

Edwin J. Greenlee is a student in the D.Min. program at The New Seminary and co-editor with Rev. Nathan C. Walker of Whose God Rules?  Is the United States a Secular Nation or a Theolegal Democracy published by Plagrave/McMillan. He is a member of the First Unitarian Church of Philadelphia. With a law degree, and an academic background in social science, Ed is particularly interested in questions of religion and the state in the contemporary US.

Returning to the Circle

Over a year ago, I asked myself how I, an interfaith minister, might help young women to gain access to the wisdom that once was shared around the kitchen table, at the quilting bee or by the campfire. I pondered the question, praying and meditating on it for several weeks.  Then, in the wee hours of the morning while still dreaming, it came to me.  Gather women together and write a book!

The answer was so simple!  Of course write a book, this is what I do - (besides teaching and ministering) - I write.  So, I began with gathering quotes for 30 days of affirmations.  The quotes were from women around the world from as many cultures as I could find.  Then, I called upon some of my "Sisters of the Soul" to write a essay for each of the sections in the book.

The essays are amazing tidbits of true wisdom, written from the heart.  After editing, arranging and re-editing, I finally decided the manuscript was ready.  One problem, who would publish such a tome?

Once again, I did what we ministers do, I prayed and meditated, waiting for an answer from the Divine.  Sure enough, a few days later, it came to me to self-publish an e-book. 

Researching how to do that was a bit of a task, but with help from some knowledgeable friends, it happened.

So, what does this have to do with interfaith ministry?  

My answer is - a lot!  As interfaith ministers, we are called to minister to the world around us.  Individuals come from all faith-paths or none at all.  Meeting them where they are is key to our ministry.  What better way to meet girls and young women today than through the World Wide Web and e-technology?

Returning to the Circle is not about getting back to the kitchen or the quilting or the fire.  This book is a call to join the circle of women in the virtual space of e-books, blogs, Twitter and Facebook. 

We have so much we can share!  Healing begins with reaching out and sometimes reaching out happens across the World Wide Web, because that is where we find those in pain.

As I say in the introduction of Returning to the Circle, “I pray that those who read and use this book will be blessed by the words - the wisdom - of the women who appear on these pages. May they help to guide, inspire and affirm who you are and why you are in this life.” 

Rev. Linda M. Rhinehart Neas is a graduate of The New Seminary (2013).  She is a writer/poet and educator.  Returning to the Circle can be found on Amazon.



 

Taking Your Spirit to the Workplace

Many people, who have a strong spiritual foundation, have struggled with how to bring that spirit to work and survive the dramas of the workplace. Often times, the pace of the day dictated by the completion of targeted goals sets the stage for chaos to occur the minute we arrive on the job. Long commutes coupled with workplace dramas can leave us shortsighted and short-tempered, which only adds to the chaos of the day. 

While taking a more peaceful spirit to the workplace should seem natural and easy to those who nurture their spiritual nature on a regular basis, we know that it is far easier said than done. When it comes to the workplace, it seems a there are a variety of catalysts that can easily rock us off of our spiritual foundation in a matter of seconds. Subsequently, we react rather than respond, using words and behaviors that escalate the situation rather than bring a spirit of peacefulness instead. 

Perhaps understanding the impact our words and actions can have on others would help us make a more concerted effort to choose more favorable routes to a harmonious workplace. 

During a UCLA study on the impact love can have on pain, it was discovered that the brain was flooded with dopamine when a person saw someone they loved or experienced the feeling of being loved. Most importantly, it was discovered that it takes 5 positive comments to every negative comment to keep the brain in a positive state; demonstrating the impact we can have on others just through our choice of words. 

Think about someone at work that you perceive as having a negative attitude. Now, think about how often that individual receives positive versus negative comments from others each day. More importantly, how many of those favorable comments can be attributed to your efforts? 

The ripple effect of throwing the stone in the water is the same as tossing the first ‘unkind’ or ‘kind’ comment into the workplace. Whether those words are spoken directly to the individual or are shared with others about an individual is irrelevant. Negative and positive comments have an impact that can be far outreaching. 

There’s a wonderful line in one of the songs from Les Miserables that says, "to see another person is to see the face of God." If we were to see the people we work with in this same light each day, we would have a powerful and favorable impact on the workplace. Doing so would make our days easier while impacting the life of another human being. 

The idea is not to imply that lunch hours will be spent singing Kumbaya, but rather, to be realistic in understanding the role you play in the chaos that ensues each day. If you know that positive comments fuel favorable brain functioning in another human being, then choose your words wisely. 

On some level, we all know how our words and actions affect people and how a spiritual approach to life improves the quality of our experiences. But this is about more than that. This is about understanding how our words and actions alter a person’s mind and can in turn affect us favorably. It’s as though you are sending the boomerang of positive efforts out and can count on it being returned. 

Spirituality is defined as "an inner path enabling a person to discover the essence of their being;" or the “deepest values and meanings by which people live." An increase in spiritual practices has been proven to have a favorable impact on reducing anxiety, stress, depression and work-related absenteeism. Our decision to show up in a spiritual way each day can and will make a difference. 

There are no guarantees that our positive words and actions will change the way another human being responds to us or to others. However, we do know that it will change how their brain responds and have an improved physical affect. 

What matters most is that we make a conscious choice to bring our inherent good to the world every day and that includes the workplace. Each of us must do our part in order to optimize the impact! 

Reverend Nancy Mercurio is a TNS Alumni, internationally televised speaker, author and executive coach, who has worked globally since 1995 to assist leaders in driving individual and organization effectiveness through improved behaviors. She is President and Founder of Leadership Training SystemsInc. and is the Co-Founder of Together In Peace Inc. a global mission for peaceful practices that launches in November, 2013.

Dr. Theodore Richards Honored

New Seminary's faculty member, Dr. Theodore Richards was honored recently with not one, but two awards for his writing.  Homebound Publishing announced within weeks of each other that Cosmosophia was awarded the Nautilus Gold Medal and that The Crucifixion won the IPPY Bronze Medal.

   

Theologian and author Matthew Fox said that 
“Theodore Richards is a unique and gifted social activist, one with a well nour­ished brain as well as a con­science. His com­mit­ment to inner city youth wounded as so many are by a cul­ture that prefers con­sump­tion to com­pas­sion and preaches couch­pota­toitism over cre­ativity, he has spent years bringing alive the poten­tial of young people in finding their in-​​depth selves and their place in our amazing uni­verse. In a pre­vious gen­er­a­tion someone of Theodore’s depth and integrity might have worked out his voca­tion in a monastery. In our time, he finds his way in the urban world of struggle and promise, despair and hope. He is a philosopher-​​activist who lis­tens deeply and walks his talk.  What he is learning is worth our all lis­tening to.” 
  
Cosmosophia: Cosmology, Mysticism and the Birth of a New Myth  is a guide for all those who are learning to connect to their inner wisdom. There is no wonder that this book won the Nautilus Gold Medal, an award shared by such notable authors as Deepak Chopra, Barbara Kingsolver, Mathew Fox, Eckhart Tolle and His Holiness the Dalai Lama.
  
 The Crucifixion is "a modern American myth," which takes readers on a journey through the Deep South and into urban America.  This epic journey reflects both Old and New Testament stories, but creates a new, modern perspective from which the reader may relate.
 
"I was moved emotionally by The Crucifixion. …In today’s rapidly changing world, the ability of individuals, families, and communities to live with hope and purpose is essential, but according to my observations, too rare," said author, Wayne Gustafson, (Community of Promise: The Untold Story of Moses). "The characters demonstrate how ordinary people can live extraordinary lives that exude the power to transform those around them.”  

The IPPY Bronze Medal is an Independent Publishers award, which is given yearly.
  
Congratulations, Dr. Ted!  

Written by Ord. Linda M. Rhinehart Neas 

Just Released: 7 Days With Adam

Rev. James Speights' new book, 7 Days With Adam has just been published.  Many will recognize author,  Rev. Speights, as the Director of The New Seminary; however, he is also a chaplain and spiritual coach.  No stranger to the printed word, Rev. Speights has been a contributor to The Washington Times Online Edition and religionandspirituality.com, "where he provided social, spiritual, and political commentary focused on getting people to interact and relate on a higher level." 

What I enjoyed about this spiritual odyssey was the give and take between author and Adam.  The conversation flows naturally and provides the reader with insight into the difficult questions people have in connection to the traditions of yesterday and our visions for tomorrow. I found myself pulled into the story and could easily apply Adam's suggestions to my own life.
 
I agree that 7 Days With Adam is a "brilliantly crafted work about Adam, the first man, who visits the author and shatters many of his core beliefs about God, creation, the basic nature of humans and this world. He has astonishing revelations about his and Eve's real legacy. After the 7 day visit, he leaves the author enlightened with actual exercises, prayers and meditative techniques that we can all use to access our Divine Inner Power and achieve mastery in our lives. This book is a testament to the value of storytelling in spirituality, and to disciplined spiritual practice, as well as being attuned to the Higher Self and Divine Inner Light that is in all of us."

by Ord. Linda M. Rhinehart Neas

Rev. Speights' book is available at 

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Days-With-Adam-Jay-Speights/dp/1626202605/ref=pd_rhf_se_p_img_1_3MTK 

Barnes and Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/7-days-with-adam-jay-speights/1114967700?ean=9781626202603

Holy Days of February

February is full of religious feasts  and observances. This is a powerful week. It would be interesting to know what days some of you will observe this week or what day or days you are drawn to. 

For me, I always observe Shrove Tuesday and Ash Wednesday. I have strong Roman Catholic roots. The Chinese New Year is also important because we celebrate it in my Kung Fu Community. 

February 10 - Transfiguration Sunday - Christian - Christian commemoration of the experience on Mt Tabor when Jesus' physical appearance became brilliant as his connection with traditional Jewish holy figures became evident to the disciples. 

February 10 - Chinese New Year - Confucian, Daoist, Buddhist - Begins a fifteen Day Festival for Chinese people of all religions. Family reunions with thanksgiving and remembrance of departed relatives take place. Traditionally a religious ceremony honors Heaven and Earth.

February 12 - Shrove Tuesday - Christian - carnival day on the eve of Ash Wednesday which begins Lent, a time of fasting and devotions. Pancakes are often served. It is also known as Fat Tuesday in some places.

February 13 - Ash Wednesday - Lent begins through March 23 - Christian - Christian observance to begin the 40 day season of Lent. Ashes are marked on worshipers as a sign of penitence.

February 14 - Nirvana Day ** - Buddhist - a regional observance of the death of the Buddha. 

February 14 - St. Valentine's Day - Christian 

February 15 - Vasant Panchami ** - Hindu - celebration dedicated to Saraswati, goddess of learning.  

February 15 - Nirvana ** - Jain - means final release from the karmic bondage.  

February 24 - Purim * - Jewish - Jewish celebration of the deliverance of the Jewish minority in Persia from genocide. Charity to the poor, sharing food with friends, and vigorous merrymaking mark the observance. 

February 24 - Triodion begins - Orthodox Christian - Orthodox Christian time period leading up to Lent. The liturgy involves hymns, odes and scriptures.

An asterisk (*) indicates that the observance begins at sundown the prior evening
  
Written by Rev. Jay Speights, TNS

 

Respect : Gone to the dogs?

 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Recently, I heard a news report that Buddha was a popular name for puppies in America. This seemed odd to me at first. I was curious about why someone would name a dog, Buddha. So, I did a little research on the subject, and it was true. Not only is Buddha a popular name for puppies, but it is also recommended on several sites on the Internet as a great name.

After some reflection, I determined that this was disrespectful and offensive. There are 450 million Buddhists, which would make theirs the fourth largest religion in the world. I am assuming that for them, the name Buddha, which means "Enlightened One," is spiritually significant; therefore, should be revered.

Now, I have had some smart pooches in my life. One, named Champ, could hold a can of beer in his front paws and roll over on his back and guzzle it down. Another memorable and much loved dog of mine, named Kai, demonstrated an exceptional capacity to comprehend at least 100 words. According to my research, many experts think this is pretty impressive.

My current dog, Snoop, is perhaps the most loving being that I have ever met. I know you could care less about the furry friends in my life; however, point I am trying to make is that no matter how cute, lovable and smart my dogs are or were, I could in no way refer to any of them as "Enlightened One."

I wonder how many Buddhists have named their dog Jesus or Christ. It's a sure bet that if one did this in some parts of America, he or she would know immediately how one's Christian neighbors felt about it. Can you imagine a peaceful, mild-mannered Buddhist in a dog park in some Bible Belt town shouting, "Here, Jesus, come on boy, get over here."

At the very least, he or she more than likely would be subjected to some verbal abuse and in some instances might be physically assaulted.

Why is it so easy for many of us in this country to devalue the sacred values and traditions of others, while assuming that ours are superior? Is it because we are geographically isolated and an overwhelmingly Christian country? Even though the United States is becoming ethnically and religiously more diverse, there seems to be an abiding ignorance by many of us about who and what is occupying the rest of this planet.

This is why the events of Sept. 11, 2001, made it clear to many Americans, for the first time, that some groups and countries have a deep-seated hatred for us, and that our Christian and democratic values are not desired or coveted by all.

We have to realize that the majority of this world is non-Christian and non-white, as well. Additionally, not everybody is jealous of democracy. This vacuum of arrogance and ignorance that we live in has not served us well, rather, has created many of the domestic and global problems with which we struggle today.

We have to learn how to view and operate in this world without our biased filters, and stop assuming that our values and traditions are desired or coveted by all. More importantly, it is thoughtless acts like naming a dog Buddha, or a football team the Redskins, that create unnecessary friction and hostility, which disrupt communities and foster hatred and violence.

— — —

Rev. Jay Speights, is an interfaith minister, Director and main United Nations representative for The New Seminary in New York. You can learn more about his work at  The New Seminary website. His email address is jayspeights@newseminary.org   

© copyright 2007 by Jay Speights

We Are the Change

English: New Year's Resolutions postcard (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Every January 1st, millions of people around the world make resolutions to give up, do without, change, recreate, and/or begin something. They look back on the past year, see the areas in their lives that could have been better, could have been more, could have been happier and resolve to make it so in the year ahead.
 
One problem, usually, is that most of these resolutions suddenly fizzle out around mid-February. Why?
 
I believe it is because they are made without the recognition that in order to bring about true change, one must remove the root of whatever it is that is causing the problem. For instance, we can try to lose weight, but, if we don't recognize and change our behavior - i.e., realize that we eat when stressed - then we will only resort back to that behavior.
 
After fifty some odd years of resolutions, I have decided to approach resolutions from a different angle this year. Instead of changing something about me - weight, attitude, etc. - I would begin by taking away a root of my issues. In other words, I am weeding my spiritual garden.
 
The best way to do this, I feel, is to begin adding to my time spent in reflection, meditation, communion and prayer. This year, I am creating, mindfully and deliberately, Sacred Space for the observance of Sabbath. As I have already stated in a past post, Sabbath does not have to be observed on Saturday or Sunday. Sabbath is any time you intentionally shut out the world of consumerism and materialism and connect with Spirit.
 
You see, I hypothesize that by observing an intentional Sabbath, the root of my problems, issues, and/or lack will disappear, or at least become something that I can cope with without becoming filled with fear and despair. The reason for this is that when we connect to Spirit, we are given Grace...this Grace brings Wisdom, Strength, Courage and the ability to do the things we are called to do.
 
President Obama said, "Change will not come if we wait for some other person or some other time. We are the ones we've been waiting for. We are the change that we seek.” If we spend time with Spirit, with the Divine, with our Creator, then, we will see and have the strength to do those things we must to make this world a better place.
 
May the year ahead be filled with Light, Love and Laughter. May there be enough rain to create rainbows and bring flowers to life. May storms pass over without lasting damage. And, may each of us see that we are enough, that we are loved and that we have all we need, now.

By Linda M. Rhinehart Neas - TNS 2013

Tradition - A Personal Reflection

World's Religious Traditions (Photo credit: Micah68)

Webster's defines "tradition" as: 1. the handing down of statements, beliefs, legends, customs, information, etc., from generation to generation, esp. by word of mouth or by practice; 2. something that is handed down; 3. a long established or inherited way of thinking or acting; 4. a continuing pattern of cultural beliefs or practices; ...The definition goes on for several more explanations, but I think you get the idea.
  
Growing up, we had a few traditions. Some were so entrenched in our lives that we didn't realize they were traditions until we stopped practicing them. Things like, Wednesday was spaghetti night; Saturday, we had beans and franks; and on Sundays, we usually had a sit-down meal at around 2 o'clock. We called it dinner, which cracks my daughters up every time I ask, "So what's for dinner?" They call it supper.
  
Other traditions were explained in sincere, one-on-one talks, like when my Mom told me why we went to church on Sunday or why we didn't put the Baby Jesus in the crèche until Christmas morning.
  
As my children grew, I practiced some of these traditions without much thought; they were simply conditioned responses to the stimuli of a particular time of year. Perhaps it is getting older and having grandchildren that bring me to this place of reflection.

 
My parents had a tradition that each year, when decorating the tree, they always put up a red and gold-trimmed ribbon before anything else went on the tree. The ribbon was from the first Christmas after they were married. This little bedraggled ribbon was their only decoration that year. 

 
Upon further reflection, I realized that as the holy/holidays arrive, I planned to do what my parents and teachers taught to do without realizing it was a learned response. This has made me stop to look more closely at the reasons for each tradition, weeding out the ones that no longer serve a useful purpose or have lost their meaning and focusing in on the ones that are truly significant to my family and me. As Karen Armstrong writes in her book, A Case for God, “…if a ritual no longer evokes a profound conviction of life’s ultimate value, (we) simply abandon it.”
    
Therefore, with careful consideration, we put candles in our windows, not because folks seem to be returning to the days of lighting up their homes, but as a simple reminder that the Light still shines bright in a world of darkness. I love the symbolism of the candle and have used it often in my teaching and ministry. The simplicity of its message of Light and Illumination is powerful.
    
We will put up a tree. I didn't have a tree several Christmases ago, and I won't ever do that again. I found it to be very depressing. Our tree is artificial - our contribution to the environment on many levels: more living trees left to clean the air, less pollution from dead trees being burned or thrown into dumps. The tree is symbolic of Life and Hope. "Ever" green, it reminds us that Life goes on from season to season.
    
Along with decorating the tree, I will decorate the inside and outside of the house. Outside, there will be fresh greens, red berries hung with ribbons on the door and light posts. Inside, there will be vignettes of angels (I love my angels...they remind me that I am never alone.) and snow people, which reminds me to stay child-like...full of expectation, hope and wonder.

 
We will send greetings, but only to the friends and family, who we won't see over the next few months. However, if this isn’t done before the end of December, I am not going to stress out. Letters/cards will be sent within the first few weeks of the New Year. (Once I got wrapped around taking care of babies, working, etc. and didn't send them until April!)
    
Another tradition we have scaled down greatly is gift giving. Both Roger and I felt the need to go back to the times when gifts were small and meaning-filled, usually homemade, and always, personal. Again, as a way to help give to the world, many of our gifts are fair trade.
    
Finally, we have several crèches (manger scenes). After all, this is why I celebrate the holy days, for which I make no apologies. I find it sad that so many feel the need to apologize to the world for practicing what they believe in. My feeling is that no matter what your faith tradition, you should be able to celebrate and share it with others.

    

      

I follow the tradition begun when my girls were small. The Baby will be hidden until Christmas morning and, God willing that my mind doesn't go on vacation, I will find Him and place Him in the manger before we do anything else.
      
These will be the traditions that Roger and I follow. However, my daughters are now all of an age where they are developing their own traditions. I have watched with interest as they sort out the traditions they wish to keep. I try to remain neutral to their decisions. After all, it is their lives.

    

Last year, I was thrilled to hear one of my granddaughters recite the Chanukah prayer and light the Menorah that Roger made for my daughter and her family. They are a blended family, observing both Christian and Jewish traditions.

  

  
In closing, I pray that as we keep time-honored traditions or create new ones, on whatever spiritual path we follow during this season of Light and Love, that our lives and those close to us be enriched. May we be reminded of the many blessings we all have, the many sacrifices of those who came before us, and the many dreams for a world of Peace that we all hope for today and each day into the New Year.

By Linda M. Rhinehart Neas - Second Year Ordinand at TNS