anchor

A wise woman that I meet with regularly challenged me to consider “tradition” as a way to be anchored before leaving again. She has helped redefine the t-word for me as I used to associate it with being closed to new ideas, being stuck in a rut, etc. (even as I’m typing, I’m realizing what a politicized word it is: traditional family and traditional values. But that’s not what I’m talking about).

Rather than cringing at the word, she suggested I consider traditions within church history that will enable a firmer rootedness. I don’t know if everyone desires this as much as me right now, but I desire:
…to be planted somewhere; to belong
…to know people around me and be known by them

Maybe it’s related to being a social floater by nature. Or maybe it’s because, while I see some benefits to living in different places and among different people, I believe and value people who stay in one place long enough to be a part of the solution and community and can walk through life with others in a way that is truly transformative.

All that to say, I’m preparing for another transition in 6 to 12 months. With that comes a whole new culture and language to learn, a whole new set of people to meet, and basically a whole new life to start. It’s with this in mind that this particular wise woman started steering me to “the anchor of tradition,” which contrasts nicely with the James 1:6 idea of being tossed back and forth in the sea (aimless, not going anywhere, floating).

One thing that we’ve talked about is the Christian calendar. I’m not from a tradition that does a whole lot with this, but I’m enjoying exploring it for this year and hopefully for years to come. For this year, anyhoo, it’s pretty wonderful timing. These words stuck out to me:
• Advent – a time of anticipation and preparation
• Christmas – a time of celebration and joy
• Epiphany – a time of discovery and understanding
• Lent – a time of work and grief
• Easter – a time of celebration
• Ascension – a time of worship and understanding
• Pentecost – a time of empowerment and being sent
• Ordinary time – a time on focusing on Christ’s kingdom

I want my thoughts to be first and foremost centered on Christ – his arrival in the world; his life, teaching, death, and resurrection, etc. Yet I also want to focus on how this calendar mirrors my preparation for Japan, too. I look forward to living more aware of the timeless, unchanging God even as everything around me is constantly changing.