April 7, 2007
Messy Traditions
During the Maundy Thursday service at St. Paul's, Ken Poppe delivered a homily on the Last Supper in which he pointed out that the events of Holy Week were chaotic and hurried as were the events that Passover celebrates.
I realized that most of the events we celebrate commemorate important but confusing times. It's only upon reflection that we truly understand the meaning of those events. The important moments of our personal lives, as well as our communal life are disorganized, rushed and leave us with conflicted feelings. It's only after we understand these moments through discussion and reflection that their true meaning becomes clear - who we are, what we are about, where we are going.
Reflection is a two-edged sword though. Memory can play tricks, especially when the truth about the events is uncomfortable, when the implications are to difficult to accept. We can "remember" events in a way to fit our well-thought-out understanding of ourselves and those we love rather than accept the real truth revealed.
Being human is all of that. I'm enjoying Holy Week, and will especially be celebrating our tradition of messy traditions.
Posted by pgutwin at April 7, 2007 9:45 AM