Over
the last few days, we have noticed a growing number of Hasidic Jewish families
present at the resort. It is kind of hard
not to notice as men walk about black trousers, white shirts with black suit
coats or long black overcoats and distinctive hats; locks of curled hair fall
from the sides of their heads from under their hats while prayer shawls dangle from
under their coats. Children in tow,
women in long skirts and heads covered or at least hair pulled back. Young boys emulate their father’s haircuts
but less stringent polo shirts are worn.
It was
close to sunset when I decided to take a walk around the resort where we are
staying and as I happened upon a parking lot there were quite a few cars and
minivans rushing into the parking lot spaces and then families quickly hopping
out and running for a building up in what would be the “ski village” during the
winter months. Apparently, they were a
little late or rather right on time for an event that they might have done
better to have given themselves a bit more time to arrive for. I was curious but that was where my intrusion
came to an end. I walked along I started
to think about their peculiar ways in light of today’s culture. I don’t mean to use the word peculiar in the
manner that some thing of as “odd” but rather different.
I
recollect a book I read in seminary, Rodney Clapp, A Peculiar People. In
this book, Clapp asserts that Christians and the Church shouldn’t co-opt into the
dominant culture, but rather should live by distinctly Christian values as an
alternative to the dominant culture. It
is a kind of interesting question, how peculiar are we as followers of
Christ?
When I
think of Christians who are “peculiar,” the Amish of the Lancaster area come to
mind. They
have for the most part shunned any form of modern technology: horse and buggy, homes with no electricity,
plain clothing and all. They are hard
not to notice them when you run into them, much like our resort with Hasidic families. The witness of the Amish communities faith was evident in the shooting at the school
house in October 2006. The horrific the
act of the shooter was met in a peculiar fashion, rather than revenge, the
community expressed forgiveness even to the point of visiting the shooter's wife
to offer their condolences in her loss.
Clothing isn’t the only thing that expresses a peculiar people, the
expression of their faith was peculiar to the dominant culture. Wow, what a witness!
As I
walked along from that parking lot, I was thankful that I don’t have to dress
in black or curl my side burns (a rather difficult task I imagine.) I am equally thankful for electricity, my mode
of transportation. I’m thankful that for the most part the
Christian faith attempts to move from following the letter of the law and move
in the direction of Jeremiah 31.31 to having the law written in our
hearts. And yet, I am also reminded of
the words from 1 Peter 2:9 that “You are a chosen people, a royal
priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you
may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his
wonderful light.” and as such we should strive to be more peculiar, Rodney
Clapp’s “peculiar” that is…
If we
look just like everything (everyone) else out there, haven’t we just domesticated
God into our cultural reality? OUCH! As I think about the church 'beyond the walls" it has to be somewhat distinguishable from the world in which it exists... If
this relationship we have with God is our most important, life-changing
reality, shouldn't it be noticeable to others?
How
peculiar are you?
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