Fiddler on the roof is remembered for its famous song with the word “Tradition” as its mantra. It is spoken in such a manner you can never forget the word. The song goes on to describe traditions that may or may not be benefiting them in their context, which makes it thought provoking and actually quite funny. Once you hear the song you cannot unhear it.

Just as for Fiddler on the roof and the word “Tradition” there is a word in the body of Christ that is ringing in the hearts of too many believers, but it is not a new word, but an ancient word which began in the garden and continues throughout stories in both the Old and New Testament. The word is “Suspicion”. From Adam and Eve’s suspicion that God wasn’t as good as He said He was to the Pharisees in the days of Jesus, the Bible is riddled with “Suspicion”.

Reading 2 Samuel 10 today this word came up yet again, but in the context of Israel’s enemies being suspicious of David’s heart of benevolence to an enemy nation. “David said, “I will deal loyally with Hanun the son of Nahash, as his father dealt loyally with me.” So David sent by his servants to console him concerning his father. And David’s servants came into the land of the Ammonites. But the princes of the Ammonites said to Hanun their lord, “Do you think, because David has sent comforters to you, that he is honoring your father? Has not David sent his servants to you to search the city and to spy it out and to overthrow it?”

The body of Christ still struggles with “Suspicion” and honestly just like in 2 Samuel 10, this “Suspicion” of each other is not benefiting us. When we are suspicious of each other or of people, we actually create troubles we do not need nor want, but our suspicion tells us they are not trustworthy, they are not safe. We call it discernment as we keep an eye on them, while assuming their motive based on their action or attire.

I pray that we no longer be known as people of suspicion or tradition, but rather we become like the disciples of Jesus who sat at the Passover table and when Jesus said, one of you is going to betray me, they were not suspicious of anyone at that table. Even after the guilty party took the bread which allowed Satan to enter him they still were never suspicious of Judas. Some call it clueless, I call it a culture of love that had no suspicion of others at their table.

As we enter 2025, let’s drop the spirit of suspicion and pick up a spirit of trust that gives people the benefit of the doubt, rather than casting suspicion. There are blessings hidden in some that the enemy wants us to be suspicious of. Let’s not buy into the narrative of those who are suspicious. May we not be the fiddler on the roof singing, “Suspicion!”