An Orthodox reader writes to point out a local church tradition we could do without.
"On the other hand," he suggests, "if combined with liquor this might be a way to evangelize the South."
Hmm...
Evangelizing Orthodixie
Monday April 30, 2007
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Rod Dreher is an editorial columnist for the Dallas Morning News, and author of "Crunchy Cons" (Crown Forum), a nonfiction book about conservatives, most of them religious, whose faith and political convictions sometimes put them at odds with mainstream conservatives. The views expressed in this blog are his own.
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Christ is risen! "A tradition we can do without"? Gee, I don't know. My wife and I will be camping over the Fourth with our friend Fr. Kevin and his family. Last year we acquired the "Mortal Combat" fireworks package from the stand at the local reservation and it was good, but we only had a few rounds for the mortar. This year I think we upgrade to "Apocalypse" for about $70. Multiple mortars and many, many rockets. Good times.
I think we Catholics could learn from our Orthodox brethren and this rich tradition of theirs. Of course, here in America it would be difficult to adopt a custom that involved deliberately aiming fireworks at churches, but I have a suggestion that would not only be safer and more environmentally friendly, but would also involve a uniquely modern American Catholic item of church decoration. My idea would involve catapults. And felt banners. The latter to be removed from the walls of the church moments before they are launched. The first church to launch all of its banners wins (in more ways than one!). :)
I enjoy fireworks as much as the next person, but when I lived in another town, it got so ridiculous in the weeks leading up to the Fourth the neighbors started calling our block Little Beirut. (I'm sure now it's Little Baghdad, but I digress...)
My favorite fireworks story (I actually saw this) involved a kid whose family lived across the street from me and they had an arsenal of stuff that looked like it came from a munitions factory. He was lighting stuff right and left, and when he lit this one piece that looked like a cement block with a fuse, instead of sparklers, it exploded and blew a gaping hole in the side of their house. He and the parents kinda dialed down the works after that. Couldn't have happened to more deserving people.
I remember one 4th of July when I was in Jr High. A few of us decided to have "battles" with bottle rockets and roman candles. We all ended up with singed hair, holes in our clothes, and assorted minor burns. Good times, good times....
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