Skip to main content

The Dangers of Tribalism

Sometimes I feel like in society, we roam the Earth in packs, finding safety in numbers as we seek to protect ourselves from anyone who is different from us, from the "other."

Whether we group ourselves by race, religion, culture, philosophy, etc, many of us find emotional and psychological security in a tribe of some sort. We find this commonality that we decide is the most important trait of ourselves (or perhaps the one most in need of protection), we find others that have that same trait, and we form an impenetrable group, a tribe. This tribe will only let another in if they have that same trait. Sometimes the tribe is automatically closed to certain people because this trait is something that cannot be changed. Sometimes, though, this tribe touts its openness because anyone can become a member of this tribe... IF they convert, change their philosophy, adapt to a new culture, etc. 

Because there is this feeling of safety that comes from being in a tribe, it is hard to step outside of the box and examine whether or not the foundation of the tribe is healthy. I think too often it is not. This is not because grouping yourselves with others is inherently unhealthy, but because if the foundation of your tribe's existence is to protect yourselves from those who are outside of the tribe or else get everyone outside of the tribe to become part of the tribe (thus nullifying their threat), that is unhealthy. Fear is not going to be a healthy foundation.

Additionally, the tribe itself should never be the foundation of a relationship. That is also going to be unhealthy. If you only love someone because they have certain things in common with you, do you really love them, or do you just love the things you have in common with them? What, then, happens if those things change? If that person should decide to stop believing what you believe, to move and adapt to a new culture, stop engaging in common activities? Or what if you are the one to grow and change? Will your relationship survive? Or was it only based on the tribe? 

So then how do we group people healthfully? In this case, relationships are based on Love and the commonalities come second. I can meet a person, get to know and love them, and then realize that this person is interested in some of the same things I'm interested in. We can join in the same activities based on commonality knowing that our relationship is secure if that activity is no longer something we can both participate in. Or perhaps I meet someone while engaging in a commonality, but if our relationship is going to be healthy, it must deepen beyond simply liking the other person based on what I have in common with them. 

And in no way will a healthy grouping exclude, denigrate, hate, or devalue anyone who is not part of that grouping. 

Unfortunately, I've seen a lot of unhealthy tribalism. Modern politics is a huge example. Religion has been that way since the dawning of religion. It's all over the news and social media. It's so hard to deal with tribalism because tribalism makes you feel attacked for being who you are. This actually promotes more insular tribalism because whenever you feel attacked, you want to go to your tribe and fight back or at least feel safe again among "your people." There are certain things I find it frightening to discuss with certain groups of people because I know they will attack me because I "cannot understand" since I'm not part of their tribe. Or sometimes I'll watch something on the news that is happening hundreds or thousands of miles away and I'll feel attacked because one group is attacking another group with which I have identified. I know that I am personally working on identifying less with a tribe and being more free to be myself and love beyond the box of tribalism. 

But I do believe there are healthy ways to have relationships and healthy ways to do so with large groups of people. These Elohim relationships are ones built on the foundation of unconditional Love and ones which will not end in betrayal and exclusion should people grow and change. They will not include hatred and denigration of those who are not in the group. They will continually grow, expand, and express Love. This I have hope for. This I believe. 

#burnthebox

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Why Creation Isn't Waiting For You to Rule and Reign

There's this idea that creation is waiting for the sons of God to take their places and make the world what it needs to be, this idea that some day out there Yahweh will come back and take us to Heaven and reign from His Throne. Once we remember sovereignty and that we are One with Yahweh, we realize that we are the ones sitting on this throne with Yahweh. We also need to remember that time and eternity are One. Time is the instrument of Our growth, and We actually use it to grow eternity. Once we realize these two things, we can see that We are sovereign in our own lives and ruling and reigning from this throne right now. The instrument of Our dominion is Our choices. This is what Paul talked about in 1 Corinthians 3 where he talks about how we each choose what materials to build our lives with. Some choose jewels, some choose clay. I, as the sovereign in my own life, get to decide what materials to build my life with. However, I cannot judge another's life. As each of u...
1 comment
Read more

Pie

Imagine that all the love, affection, and resources (time, finances, emotional space, etc.) that each of us has is a pie. This pie may be larger or smaller depending on capacity and circumstances in a person’s life. Now, in order to be healthy and satisfied, each person must constantly be consuming an entire pie. But, after eating a single slice of our own pie, the rest of our pie cannot satisfy us or give us any nutritional value. What are we to do? We must give ourselves the first slice of our pie. This is self-love or self-care. That first slice imbues all of the other slices of our pie with nutritional value. But, after we have consumed the first slice of our own pie, the rest of our pie will give us nothing if we eat it ourselves. We must give the other slices of our pie to other people. Still, we must consume a whole pie to be satisfied, so others must give to us as well. In a healthy, functioning society and group, it would look like this: each of us eats our own first slice...
Post a Comment
Read more

Rocks vs. Sand: Discerning Reality from Illusion

I keep saying that Yahweh is all that there is and that anything that isn't of Him isn't Real. You may well wonder, as I did, why we keep seeing things that aren't Real. Sickness, death, poverty, sadness... none of these are in line with Yahweh's order or character, so why do we perceive them? Some might say that we live in a fallen world, but did not Yahshua finish everything on the cross? (John 19:30). If we are to believe Him that it truly is finished, then we can return to His Reality right now. We do not have to wait until we die to go to Heaven. Indeed, we do not even have to die. (1 Corinthians 15:51, John 8:51, John 3:16, etc.)  If you just looked up those verses and rationalized away that they are talking about not dying after you die and go to Heaven (does that really make sense, though?), ask Holy Spirit to show you His Reality and judge it for yourself. I, personally, cannot now understand why Yahshua would say that anyone who keeps His Word would ne...
Post a Comment
Read more