A few days ago my friend David and I went to a local thrift store to look for lightweight business casual clothes for David's summer job. I found this beautiful wooden frame with a photograph of an Orthodox church interior. I guess someone was redecorating. It's a funny thing to buy something I feel is really personal, but I'm happy to have a visual reminder of my time in Greece. I spent quite of bit of time looking at artwork in churches. We modern Christians possess a second-hand faith. While our faith is our own, we wouldn't have our faith traditions without the Cloud of Witnesses who came before us. I am aware of how incredibly influenced I have been by the Presbyterian and Reformed traditions without even knowing it! The larger Christian tradition influences us every day. One of my favorite things about my denomination is the ecumenical focus. Even knowing that differences exist in theology and history and liturgical practices, we also know that we are one Body. Or, as Henry Nouwen said, "We need each other more than we need to agree."
No comments:
Post a Comment