Tradition is wholesome, grounding, often rich and very valuable. But it doesn’t serve us optimally when tradition stands in the way of creative originality.
Every religion has it culture and tradition. Even nations, groups and families have their customary ways of celebrating, commemorating and honouring people and experiences in life. There is certainly value in marking events with colour and costume, song and dance, ritual and ceremony. Yet too often I find tradition stands in the way of people applying their creativity to these powerful and beautiful moments in life.
The problem is that traditional, culture and religion are often intertwined in inextricable ways. And when religion is part of the picture, it automatically draws on people’s idea of God. And too many people still carry the idea of prescriptive religion and a commanding god. “This is what we have to do, and this is the way we have to do it, because this is the way it always has been done. Even if this particular way might have been twisted in translation, we cannot risk not doing it this way because we have little clue of any other way we can do this, so we will just do our best in doing it the way it always has been done.”
Granted – we are largely creatures of habit, history and tradition. But we are also creative original beings, holding the power of creativity in our minds, our heart and hands. It’s healthy to have both these aspects of ourselves activated within us, but not so healthy to have the ceremonial staff of tradition usurp the power of the creative magic wand!
When we are being original we draw on the origin within us. Many would refer to God as our origin. And one way to honour God is to do the ritual you think God has prescribed. Another way – and in my opinion a more progressive and powerful way – to honour God/Divinity/Source/Essence is to activate and exercise the creative original power within us.
Collectively and individually it will help us to review the idea of requirement – that something is required of us. Many think that we ought to do certain things in certain ways. Yet there is nothing we ought to do in life. Requirement is an illusion. Because separation is an illusion. All is one, so why or how can one part of the all require another part to do anything in order to achieve completion or fulfilment in a reality where all is already perfect, complete and whole?
We are free. Free to think we ought to do it in the old way, or free to create a colourful new way. Even free to mesh the old with the new! However we choose to do the things we do, let’s bring our Creative Original Power to bear on these interesting times, on this new day.. in this sacred moment.. and always.
