It is a tradition that...
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It is a tradition that we shake hands when we meet people. But why do we do that? Apparently that tradition started centuries ago as a way of checking to see if the other person was armed with a knife or gun. As long as one put out his hand to shake your hand, then it was safe to be with that person. But when we shake hands with one another today is that why we do so? It is a tradition to stand up for the seventh inning stretch at baseball games. It seems that that tradition began in the early part of this century when the President attended a ball game. But in the middle of the seventh inning he had to leave. So the fans in the stadium stood up as a sign of respect for him. But is that why we still observe the seventh inning stretch today? It is easy for traditions to take on lives of their own. We continue to observe certain traditions, even though we rarely think about what those actions are supposed to mean. Today's reading gets to the heart of the Christian's story. It reminds the people of what the faith is really about. -- Bowen
