Singing in a Strange Land

I believe that God is greater than any religious tradition. Each tradition, someone wise once said, is like a finger pointing to the moon. It is as important to distinguish the tradition from the spiritual reality it points to as it is to distinguish the finger from the moon. But without the finger, would we find the moon? I find that the tradition I belong to helps me to appreciate the mystery of God. I respect other traditions, and the more I learn about other traditions, the deeper I am able to go in my own tradition. If I remained outside of all traditions, I would be more vulnerable to the materialistic and individualistic impulses of our culture than I am already. I would be thirsty, very, very thirsty. I see a lot of thirsty people around me, and so I believe it is important for me to share the value of my tradition.