2 Thess. 2:15 So then, brothers, stand firm and hold to the traditions that you were taught by us, either by our spoken word or by our letter.
I waved a tearful farewell as my daughter, son-in-law and two grandkids pulled out of the parking lot from our rented cottage. We had just spent a lovely weekend swimming, hiking, and of course, eating ice cream. But now it was over, time for us to return home. Since we live over 300 miles apart, we cherish every opportunity to be together.
A few minutes before, our 6-year-old grandson surprised us all. He directed us to stand in a close circle. I mean, he told everyone exactly where to stand and how close to be. Then he said, “We’re going to get in a circle so we can pray like we always do before we have to go home.” Then he led out a prayer for traveling safety and that we would have a good day!
He picked up on a practice my husband and I always do when they leave our house after a visit. We had no idea it had impacted him as our tradition.
Traditions.
I’ve always been a big fan of making memories. I believe traditions shape our identity and give us a crucial sense of belonging. The continuity builds security and provides stability when life gets crazy. Traditions help us recall “normalcy.”
Traditions play a vital role in families, but also in the church. Scripture shows us tradition comprised a big part of Jewish life (think Tevye in Fiddler on the Roof)! Even though the Pharisees abused traditions by prioritizing their own man-made customs over the commands of God, Jesus never denounced traditions. He condemned the Pharisees for how they twisted them to elevate themselves while completely missing the spirit behind them.
When Paul addressed the Thessalonian church about the “coming man of lawlessness,” he cautioned them not to be deceived. He encouraged them to stand firm—no matter what was happening in the world—by holding on to the traditions he had taught them. Traditions that would remind them of the truth.
Change in today’s culture is occurring at warp speed. Hurricane force winds threaten to uproot every tradition we have that binds us as a people. As believers, let’s stand firm and hold on to those bedrock traditions we’ve been taught lest we get swept away.