On my last post, I shared with you a reflection on the differing realities of Grace and Tradition. There is no denying the traditions that become part of our lives over time provide a way to go forward for many people. Without traditions to help us make sense of how to deal with what happens around us and how we should act, .most of us would be lost. There is a lot going on right now which is hard to make sense of.
But traditions often cause us to act in ways that may have been helpful in the past, but are not helpful now. I take for example the controversy over giving bosses the right to fire an unwed female who becomes pregnant. I have seen this happen to many women. They are good people who have made a decision to do this. Who knows, there may be something in their tradition that gives a sense of affirmation to this. But that is not the point.
The point is, for many, tradition says this is wrong and should not be supported. Hence the right to fire single women who are pregnant. That seems to me to fly in the face of grace. We will be talking a lot more about grace — what it is, how it works, and why it HAS to be of God. But for now, it seems to me grace would dictate a different approach to people who live their lives in a less traditional way.
You know, if God treated me the way I sometimes treat God, there would be no hope. But there is. This is what grace is all about.
Grace and tradition are not always the same.
Any thoughts?