Hot dogs and hamburgers on the Fourth of July. Check.
Turkey onThanksgiving. Check.
Silent Night on Christmas Eve. Check.
Not wearing white after Labor Day. Whoa... anybody remember that one?
Traditions are ways we define ourselves and society and have value. They give us a sense of grounding in an ever-changing world and help us feel that we are part of something greater than ourselves. They can also be stifling when we forget what is far more important: that the commandment of God to love one another dare not be ignored when traditions take on a life of their own, and are observed “just because,” thus excluding others. There is always much grumbling in churches when new things are attempted, be that in the liturgy, how the congregation is organized, or mission/outreach. The last congregation I was a member of as a layperson had a meeting which erupted in a brawl in the aisles because of a proposal to change the color of the rug in the nave, with the state police being called in to calm things down.
This is tradition at its worst, and Jesus cautions us about remembering who, not what, is truly important: our neighbor, be that the immigrant stranger, a family member, or a fellow sister or brother in Christ. And he welcomed them is how Jesus is described when approached by others who were experiencing, perhaps for the first time ever, God’s love in their lives, and were not expected to conform first.