Some people find it hard to identify with the Jews who rock before Jerusalem’s Western Wall. When I first saw them, the prayers seemed odd. Then I thought about my traditions. Are they any less bizarre?
(Photo: Men praying at the Western Wall. Courtesy of the Pictorial Library of Bible Lands)
Oddness just comes in different flavors. They’re called “traditions.” For example:
- Jews pray with their heads covered; we take our hats off.
- Their prayers are public and often loud; ours are private and quiet.
- They rock back and forth and pray from a book; we bow our heads, close our eyes, and utter unrehearsed words.
It’s easy in the familiarity of our own traditions to shake our fingers at the oddities of others. Jews pray while rocking, Muslims kneel with their bottoms in the air, and Christians bow our heads and close our eyes.
But blend any tradition—bowing, standing, prostrating, rocking, kneeling, or jumping—with no personal relationship with the true God, and it’s pointless.
How can we make sure we don’t confuse truth with tradition?
Click to continue reading »
