Mouth to Ears

Most of us at some time or another have a measure of interest in our family tree.  Mine has been rekindled in the past few years by a woman with whom I am glad to claim some kin, but who has also been a keeper of the tree from which we both came.  While the information she has shared with me has largely been written, the stuff we first learn about who we are and to whom we belong comes by word of mouth.  The sharing of the past is not usually done in a formal structured setting, but in casual moments of sharing events and years together with family.   

One of the things often overlooked as we read the Scripture is the fact that so much of it was passed from one generation to the next not in written form, but through what is known as oral tradition.  Oral tradition is defined as one mouth speaking into the two ears of another.  It is easy to imagine the ancient Hebrews gathering around campfires or tables and telling the stories of their ancestors.  Perhaps, some of the Genesis narrative came into being in response to the question, "How did we get here?"   

As the years slip along, we are surely the beneficiaries of what we have read in the Word as well as the manner in which students of the Word have sought to enhance understanding, but it is also true that oral tradition still has a major place in the transmission of our faith story.  To be blessed with the faith stories of our mothers and fathers and grandparents is a wonderful thing to carry with us on our spiritual journey.  Knowing what has been experienced by those who love us the most and to whom we are connected is immeasurable.  It may not carry with it the authority the Word carries, but is filled with the trials and tears of those who nurtured us and pushed us ahead toward home.