Vivre la tradition

Ever watch "Fiddler On The Roof"? There is a great monolog from the beginning of the film:

Main character: A fiddler on the roof. Sounds crazy, no? But here, in our little village you might say every one of us is a fiddler on the roof trying to scratch out a pleasant, simple tune without breaking his neck. It isn't easy. You may ask "WHY do we stay up there if it's so dangerous?" Well, we stay because [it] is our home. And how do we keep our balance? That I can tell you in one word: tradition! Traditions, traditions. Without our traditions our lives would be as shaky as, as... as a fiddler on the roof!

TRADITIONS, TRADITIONS

It's easy for me to relate to that scene. My motto used to be live for the experiences. I want transformative experiences, and I want it now. Rite of passages, the climatic second act, joie de vivre, carpe diem, and so on...

But as I get older I want to be drawn to something constant that I'm willing to go back to time and again. I want rituals with depth, traditions with a meaning behind them that runs richer the longer I go on.

The closest thing to traditions in my life right now is my faith, church, and Sunday school. (Note to self: work on community, ie relationships.)

Last week in smallgroup I learned about asking what do I want? What is it that I desire?

Instead of asking that I should be asking what is His desire for me? I need to learn from the silence and stillness, to hear His small voices.

All I want is not to break my neck.