Building Blocks

A photograph of several of the Evansville Tri-State Association youth attending the National Youth Event at Purdue University was posted on Facebook last week. It was a photograph of several youth playing in the fountain on campus.  For those who attended Purdue University, it seems that this long held tradition of running through the fountain is a part of the life and culture of the university. A tradition such as this one brings individuals together and community happens. 

   

We have a similar photograph in a collection of family photos. Carly and I attended Faith Works at Purdue University in the mid-nineties and it was a hot day in July when Andrew and Aaron enjoyed a few minutes cooling down  in the same fountain.   Whether or not my boys ever meet the youth who attended the National Youth Event this summer, they will share a memory that binds them together with others who have made a similar journey.   A memory such as this brings our individual journeys together in a common experience and community happens.  

And so it is with Christian community – traditions and memories that are shared through the generation shape our values, our beliefs, and our Christian commitment. Memory and tradition are the building blocks upon which the Christian faith is shaped and formed. It is from this foundation that we are free to imagine the possible. What are the building blocks of your faith? What memory do you share with generations that define your family? Your community? What traditions bring meaning to your faith?  

Prayer 

God, help us to cherish our memories and shape new traditions that proclaim your glory today. May the traditions of life ground us in this new day and our memories of this new day empower us to imagine the possible. Amen.