Tradition!!!

My wife and I had the great pleasure of seeing Fiddler on the Roof early last week. We make it a point to see several shows a year, and as this is Topol's farewell tour, we figured we needed to see a stage and film legend in the role he is most well known for. Needless to say, it was wonderful. Although the man is in his 70's, his stage presence and voice were matchlessly powerful. We'll get back to the show in a minute.

On Sunday, the sermon centered around what we base our Faith on. Brian talked about basing our faith on a relationship with God, not on the comfort of religion or any number of other things. As I was sitting there, thinking over what Brian said, a couple of thoughts from the production mingled with the ideas from the sermon.

Tevye, the one whos eyes we experience all the events of the show through, says in the first scene of the show that, "Here, in our little village of Anatevka, you might say every one of us is a fiddler on the roof trying to scratch out a pleasant, simple tune without breaking his neck. It isn't easy. You may ask 'Why do we stay up there if it's so dangerous?' Well, we stay because Anatevka is our home. And how do we keep our balance?" With that he exclaims one word, "Tradition!" The first song of the show explains the relationships in the town, and Tevye explains that through their traditions, everyone in the town knows "who they are, and what God expects of them."

The interesting thing is, throughout the play, Tevye displays something far greater as his source of identity. As each scene unfolds, we see Tevye's tradition challenged from within his own family, and in what could be identity shattering moments, Tevye turns (as he does so often in the play) and speaks to God. It's much like I imagine Abraham might have talked to God, and much the way I wish I could talk to him. As the traditions of Tevye's life are challenged, he finds his identity in the relationship he has with his maker.

While I'm not entirely sure this was the intended message of the show (I've seen it a million times and I never came away with this before), I find it a great reminder of the power of prayer.