The Tyranny Of Tradition

“See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ.” [1]

Traditions are essential to civilisation. Societies are built around traditions which most of those living within that society take for granted, until they don’t. Anyone within a society grows up with the traditions of that society. They assume that everyone throughout the entire world acts just as they act. They grow comfortable with the familiar traditions that are characteristic of that society, and they find the traditions of other cultures quaint or even offensive. As is true of every society throughout history, our comfort with the traditions of contemporary culture is in great measure because the traditions we encounter in our daily lives are familiar. They seem normal to us because it is what we have known. We don’t even question our traditions!

Most Canadians are familiar with a fat elf dressed in red that is said to circumnavigate the globe on Christmas Eve. We know this elf has a full white beard and a large tummy. We have this tradition in no small measure because we have read or heard the poem, “‘Twas the Night Before Christmas.” Of course, this poem, published on December 23, 1823, was the genesis for what has become today a tradition within western culture. And if we were to have difficulty visualising that jolly elf, we have Coca Cola ads that depict how we are to imagine Santa Claus. The thought of a welcomed invader coming into our houses through the chimney has become a tradition. And even if you aren’t particularly enamoured of that particular tradition, you are certainly familiar with it. You can’t avoid the tradition!

As Canadians, we know that tradition dictates we must have turkey and cranberry sauce at Thanksgiving; and assuredly it cannot truly be Thanksgiving without pumpkin pie and whipped cream. All the depictions of the Thanksgiving feast that we imagine to have been observed by the Pilgrim forefathers assures us that these particular ingredients were present for that first feast, even if the reality was that their feast consisted primarily of venison, corn and squash. Tradition dictates that turkey and dressing, topped off with pumpkin pie is mandatory today. Anything less cannot really be Thanksgiving!

And every Canadian knows about the Easter bunny. I imagine each of us has at some point during our childhood raced about the house or rushed about outdoors looking for coloured eggs on Easter morning. It is another tradition that marks our calendars.

Other traditions that mark us as Canadians include St. Jean Baptiste Day in Quebec, St. Patrick’s Day Parade in Montreal, and the Calgary Stampede. Among food traditions, it is essential to include poutine and beaver tails, which are decidedly Canadian. The Jiggs Dinner is uniquely Canadian. One should not overlook Bannock, saskatoon berries, Nanaimo bars, Montreal smoked meat, maple syrup, and ketchup chips as part of Canadian culture. Though we may not see it as often as in earlier days, milk in bags is uniquely Canadian. Traditions and cultural norms mark us as Canadian.

Cottage culture in almost every province, or camping on Victoria Day and during the Labour Day weekend are distinctly Canadian traditions. Trips to the cottage mark the beginning of summer and the end of summer. In keeping with our rugged character, we Canadians want to get away to nature.

Our lives are guided by traditions far more widely than mere holiday traditions. One thinks of removing our shoes upon entering a house, or queuing up to board a bus, of valuing our space by resenting anyone crowding too close. This latter is a tradition that is challenged in anyplace where there are large numbers of recent immigrants, though the Canadian ideal is prevailing thus far. Traditions are important, so important that there are few fields in life that are not guided in greater or lesser measure by our traditions.

At the outset, then, let’s admit that traditions can be a source of strength within a society. This is true if the tradition in question is righteous and holy, and it is especially true if the tradition establishes stability or cohesiveness among those holding to that tradition. However, if the tradition that binds a person cannot be said to be righteous and holy, that tradition can halt all spiritual progress, stifle initiative, and ensure ruin.

Let’s also admit that God can never be known through philosophical reasoning. God acts logically, but mere logic will never lead one to know God. Faith is rational, but rational thought by itself is incapable of discovering God. Because God is infinite, because He is not like us, it is impossible for us to know God if He does not reveal Himself. There is in the Letter to Hebrew Christians a most insightful statement concerning this matter. The writer of that letter instructs readers, “Without faith it is impossible to please [God], for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him” [HEBREWS 11:6].