Written by Tiane Davis

A freshman, Weston Eades, was chosen as one of the six hosts for Spring Sing this year. A rare feat. . Maybe I don’t pay enough attention to Spring Sing, but this was the first time, in my Harding experience, that there has been a freshman host or hostess. Additionally, I heard he had never attended a Spring Sing show in person before being chosen.

To me, this came as a surprise. The Spring Sing ensemble cast and group of hosts/ hostesses always seemed to me like a group of experienced students. Typically in their last few years of college. The more I thought about it, however, the more I was convinced that I loved the thought of a freshman carrying on such a key Harding tradition. What are traditions if no fresh faces or newcomers eventually show up to perpetuate them? We have to welcome the newcomers eventually.

For the longest time, when I thought of the word “tradition,” the word “exclusivity” often came to mind. Tradition sometimes feels like an inside joke in the way that someone is often left out; it is such a special part of life that it feels natural to want to keep it to ourselves. I think this belief I had might have stemmed from some misconceptions I had about the Church while growing up, which I am ashamed to admit — for my sake and the Church’s.

The idea that God is a graceful and inclusive deity was an idea that took me a while to truly grasp. I have always been aware that He held those qualities, but they did not always translate into my own thoughts and actions as a Christ-follower.

For years, I was under the mindset that Christians held prevailing ownership over so many traditions, including Christmas, Easter, Lent and much more. I was the type of person who thought she was better for attending church every Sunday — even though my parents often had to drag me out of bed to go every week. I would look at a crowded church on Easter Sunday and feel a sense of distaste for the people I had not seen before, when I should have felt joy knowing they wanted to be there and were welcomed no matter what.

Oh, how wrong I was. I have probably never been more wrong in my life. The best traditions are the opposite of exclusive.

A crucial part of traditions is that someone needs to continue them, lest they die. If traditions such as celebrating Easter or taking communion were exclusive to those who had knowledge about them or consistently practiced them, they would have died with the apostles.

Traditions are special and deserve to be treated as such, which is all the more reason for us to include — not exclude — others in the continuation of them.

Tradition does not stem from selectivity but from respect for, and a desire for community with all who uphold it. That is why the Church or any community at its best is inclusive to a diverse group of people rather than a standardized person who seems to fit the right description.

During my time at Harding, I have witnessed and been let in on so many great traditions. What makes the great traditions great is that I feel I would be included if I wanted to be. Though I have never participated in Spring Sing, I know I would be allowed if I asked. The invitations I have received to be included further into certain communities are what have made my love stronger for the groups that surround me. Inviting others to join in on traditions is essential to continuing them.

The idea of being inclusive is obviously not new. Every year, however, seeing how Spring Sing functions as a whole has led me to admire the traditions its leaders uphold. It is up to those who participate to not misuse the tradition as a way to exclude others. I still have not bought a ticket to Spring Sing this year, but I know I will be rooting for Weston either way.