They came to the Jordan River and began cutting down trees. One of them was cutting down a tree when his ax head fell into the water. He cried out, “Oh, no! Master, it was a borrowed ax!” The man of God said, “Where did it fall?” He showed Elisha the place. Elisha then cut a piece of wood, threw it into the river there, and the ax head floated up. “Lift it out,” Elisha said. So the man then reached out and grabbed it. 2 Kings 6:4-7
Tradition is a beautiful thing. Many families have family heirlooms that they pass on from generation to generation. One pastor told me of a family with an axe that passed from father to son. The thing was, the handle had been replaced countless times as the wood got old and creaky. The axe head had been replaced several times once it couldn't hold an edge anymore. So, was the axe really a family heirloom when it wasn't the original handle or axe head anymore?
In our story today, the prophet Elisha was with a group of people who wanted more land to live in. They decided to go to the Jordan River, cut down trees, and start living in that area. As they were doing this, one of the guys lost his axe head in the Jordan River. At that time, the river flowed fast and deep toward the Dead Sea, and most people didn't know how to swim. The axe head sank out of reach, and the guy knew he was in trouble with the other guy he had borrowed the axe from.
Elisha performed a miracle by throwing a piece of wood into the water and getting the axe head to rise to the surface, within arm's reach. We often reach out for the traditions we enjoy, whether they are items or songs or meals or other activities shared for years. Holding on to tradition can be comforting, and it can bring people together.
But just as the axe head flew off the handle, traditions don't always stick around. Sometimes traditions have to change and adjust. My mom had a great recipe for fudge that she made every Christmas, but one of the boxes of an ingredient is no longer sold at the same weight, so using "one box" when making the recipe today will not turn out right. Likewise, my son has a beautiful Model A pickup truck that he enjoys driving around, but I don't ride in it because it has no safety feature like a roof or safety glass or seatbelts. Tradition is great to look at, but I prefer modern safety features when driving down the road.
What traditions are important to you? And have they changed at all in your lifetime? Sometimes we have to admit that our traditions aren't as traditional as we think they are. More importantly, we have to step back and see if traditions are open to including new people. In our spiritual practices, we have gone from having altars with horns on the corners that people could hold onto as a legal sanctuary, to having altars on wheels that get adjusted frequently to meet weekly worship needs. Every time and place has used its own music to send our prayers to God. Some congregations have ornate buildings, and others are simple and plain.
Sometimes our traditions have flown off and we need to reach out and bring them back, but sometimes we need to replace a head or handle so they can do the work we expect. Let's embrace tradition, but be open to the times when tradition needs to adjust to the needs of new groups of people. Amen.
Pastor Anna-Lisa Hunter
July 10, 2024
