Where’s your tribe?

The message at church yesterday was on community and the need for a band of brothers (or sisters). The body is made of many parts, some seem more important than others, but we need them all. We don’t all agree, but if we’re family or on the same team at work, school or church, then everyone is a part and everyone is needed.

However, in this time of sounding off on social media, skepticism toward mainstream media and even wondering who can be trusted, it is easy to withdraw and go solo. But take caution, isolation is not the answer. 

One quote used in yesterday’s message was from John of the Cross, “The soul that is alone is like a burning coal that is alone. It will grow colder rather than hotter.” The comparison was a charcoal grill and if one coal gets separated from the main stack of coals, it soon disappears.

In wolf language, don’t stray from the pack! Which actually comes from Rudyard Kipling in The Jungle Book, “For the strength of the pack is the wolf, and the strength of the wolf is the pack.”

I’m not sure what the reference to the “silver cup” means, but these lyrics from America are a timely reminder:

This is for all the lonely people, thinking that life has passed them by

Don’t give up until you drink from the silver cup and ride that highway in the sky

These can be lonely times, which I refer to in the book, “We have more wealth, more access to information, more advanced technology, and therefore we are more connected than any other time in history, and yet we are unhappier (and lonelier) than the generations before us who grew up with less.”

We don’t have to agree. But we must learn to accept each other. Otherwise we’ll repeat the example of Cain and Abel. We need one another, even if we are not on the same page. Find ways to celebrate differences as individual strengths and weaknesses. Think of differences as the ways God has made each of us unique.

And the question of the day – Where’s your tribe?

If you don’t have one, find one or form one! If you need help, it would be an absolute pleasure to help you process and plan to connect with a community that’s a good fit for you. I’m a big believer in churches and the true feeling of family and friendship that can be found in a community of faith. No, they are not perfect, but that’s because they are comprised of broken vessels, just like you and me. It may take more than one visit and you may even have to take the first step to introduce yourself. But it will be worth it when you find your tribe.

Make it happen.