He's For Us!

Not so fast. Just because someone isn't from our "tribe" doesn't mean they are our enemy!

Dec 20, 2024

Tribalism has become so unhealthy in our modern age that we are now making up “tribes” to belong to because we are so confused about who we are as a people. But that isn’t anything new. Tribalism has been unhealthy since we started choosing sides and reducing our identity to either our genetic roots or family ties. All of history is filled with atrocities done in the name of either protecting our tribe or attacking another tribe!

But there are some real treasures in our different communities, and we humans were made to be in communion, so it’s a mistake to throw out the baby with the bathwater.

So, how do we learn to discern (quickly becoming one of my favorite sayings) between a healthy joy in our family ties and the unhealthy tribalism that degenerates into racism, insecure arrogance, or even violence? It all begins with seeing our distinctiveness as both a gift AND an invitation to share!

Look at our Gospel Lesson this morning in Mark 9:33-41:

At that time, Jesus and his disciples came to Capernaum, and when he was in the house he asked them, “What were you discussing on the way?” But they were silent; for on the way they had discussed with one another who was the greatest. And he sat down and called the twelve; and he said to them, “If any one would be first, he must be last of all and servant of all.” And he took a child, and put him in the midst of them; and taking him in his arms, he said to them, “Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me; and whoever receives me, receives not me but him who sent me.” John said to him, “Teacher, we saw a man casting out demons in your name, and we forbade him, because he was not following us.” But Jesus said, “Do not forbid him; for no one who does a mighty work in my name will be able soon after to speak evil of me. For he that is not against us is for us. For truly, I say to you, whoever gives you a cup of water to drink because you bear the name of Christ, will by no means lose his reward.”

The disciples of the Lord come across a man casting out demons in the name of the Lord, and they stop him because he isn’t part of their group!

When they told the Lord, He corrected them with the wisdom that said anyone doing good in the name of the Lord can’t then turn around and speak evil of the Lord. In other words, there are the beginnings of communion here. Don’t snuff that out! The whole point of the Lord’s ministry is to build, grow, and foster communion.

Remember, they reported their actions to the Lord to show Him they were “guarding” the group! They didn’t expect the Lord to react the way He did, which is the first sign that they still had work to fully appreciate what Jesus intended to do for everyone, even those “outside” the tribe!

Now, before you go too far on the other side of this wisdom and suggest the Lord is teaching that anything goes, they are OK as long as any group claims to follow the Lord. Nothing could be further from the truth taught here. No, the Lord isn’t suggesting that this beginning of communion is the end of the journey, but it is a beginning. It’s like suggesting that a kindergartener is the same as a wise teacher. Yes, both are persons, but there is still a development that has to occur for there to be any chance these two persons can communicate well. We should never confuse the launching pad for the finish line!

Our current societal chaos has exposed the sick side of tribalism, but we can’t dismiss the close ties that bind us. We must be humble and gracious enough to watch our attitudes carefully and ask God to help us discern when things are getting sick. Then, we have to be humble enough to repent!

St. Ignatius was a disciple of St. John, the Beloved Disciple. Some suggest Ignatius was the small child Christ sat on His lap when He said, “Suffer the little children to come to Me.” He eventually became the second bishop of the great city of Antioch. If you read the early writings of the Apostolic Fathers of the Church, you will read several letters from this godly bishop to the Faithful. He was arrested for being a Christian when Trajan was Emperor of Rome. The Romans thought if they arrested, tortured, and killed the leaders of the fast-growing Christian Faith, they could stop the spread of Christianity. St. Ignatius willingly went to the Emperor when he came to Antioch so that the faithful wouldn’t be persecuted. Trajan attempted to get Ignatius to deny Christ then and there, but the godly bishop refused. So, Trajan ordered Ignatius to be sent to Rome and thrown to the lions in the Colosseum. On his way to his martyrdom, St. Ignatius strengthened the Christians in the cities where they stopped, and many wanted to try to save the elderly saint from his fate. But St. Ignatius refused, saying, “I am the wheat of God, and am ground by the teeth of the wild beasts, that I may be found to be the pure bread of God.” St. Ignatius contested in martyrdom on December 20, 107. He is called “the God-bearer” because he valued Christ above all.

Today, where are those places in your life that are enemies of communion and dialogue? Where are the illnesses in your “tribe?” What fears of the “stranger” lurk in your heart that keep you from seeing all people created in God’s image and meant to be in communion with you? To be sure, we always need discernment, but we can never allow the beauty of God’s original intention for us all to escape or be lost to our fears, our prejudices, or our ignorance. We were made to be in communion like the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit is in communion Living a Normal Orthodox life means everybody belongs!

He's For Us!

Not so fast. Just because someone isn't from our "tribe" doesn't mean they are our enemy!

But there are some real treasures in our different communities, and we humans were made to be in communion, so it’s a mistake to throw out the baby with the bathwater.

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