My New Tribe

All the stuff that’s going on is causing those of us who didn’t often think about what tribe they come from to give it a long, hard think.

All of a sudden, we’re reading the name at the bottom of the article to guess what perspective the person is writing from. Or we’re having to think about the politically correct thing to say when we’re with old friends from a different tribe. It feels like a loss of innocence –like what Adam & Eve may have felt after tasting the forbidden fruit.

Pastor Oscar of Nairobi Chapel recently preached a great sermon about the bible’s perspective on tribes & tribalism. Let me try and put what I think he said in my own words...

Genesis 11 tells us that God formed languages with the intention of scattering a rebellious humanity across the earth. This was God’s way of putting boundaries around & limiting the global spread of evil. Different groupings formed, united by common language, location and culture.

In the next chapter, we see God picking one tribe, almost at random, for the express purpose of blessing the rest. Thus a model was born where the blessings of one grouping were shown to have been intended for the benefit of the rest.

What are tribes for? To limit evil and to add blessing to all!

God’s people often misunderstood this and thought the blessings of their tribe were theirs by right, to benefit only ‘their people’. The story of Jonah is all about tribalism. In sending Jesus though, God made it possible for deep reconciliation to happen between ethnic groups; by the creation of a new ‘super-tribe’ that represents Him on earth!

‘For Christ himself has made peace between us Jews and you Gentiles by making us all one people. He has broken down the wall of hostility that used to separate us… His purpose was to make peace between Jews and Gentiles by creating in himself one new person from the two groups. ¹⁶ Together as one body, Christ reconciled both groups to God by means of his death, and our hostility toward each other was put to death’. Eph.2:14-16

What this means is that for Christians, our tribe is the tribe of Jesus! And this multi-racial, multi-ethnic ‘tribe’ celebrates and benefits from the strengths that come from their different backgrounds.

As the church in Kenya, we need to embrace the excellence and educational aptitude that those who come from a Luo background bring. And appreciate the spiritual sensitivity those from a Kamba background contribute. And benefit from the entrepreneurial mindset those from a Kikuyu background add. And rejoice in the loyalty that those from a Luhya background model. And so on… ad-infinitum! Our diversity is not something to shun or avoid, but to welcome and cheer.

Of course just as with individuals, for every strength there is a shadow side. We need to confess and take responsibility for those things that have been done by those from our tribe (even if we had nothing to do with it ourselves). And then we need to learn to ‘positively stereotype’ those groups that exist in our churches – appreciating the strengths they add.

Together as the new tribe of Jesus, we have much to offer our land.