It has strong heartfelt connotations.
All of us desire it. We sacrifice to attain it, sometimes even trading our lives.
It comes with a decision.
In return we get cards, patches, decals, tattoos, acceptance, a place to fit in.
When we attain it, we get a feeling of being larger than ourselves, of feeling like we are not alone, of being one with another human or being part of a group, a team, a second family.
Couples, families have a strong sense of belonging, even severely dysfunctional and abusive families. (Is it hope that keeps this kind of belonging alive, or fear?)
I get a certain sense of belonging when I blog and get response to words that I have written. I feel a part of something, and it feels good.
I think we are meant to belong to each other. It's normal to innately know this and to innately crave it. As believers in Christ we are one and our deep desire is to see this oneness lived out. Jesus' last prayer before he was crucified wasn't to feed the hungry, heal the sick, or for world evangelism—it was that we would be one as He and the Father are one. (He knew we would have unconquerable power to change the world as one, and by no other means.)
But...what does it look like to put this belonging to a group or person above all else?
We don't make waves, don't question, we play it safe and overlook serious offenses to others and ourselves in the name of "peace." We are afraid of jeopardizing our position, and maybe with that our house, friends and what we think is our security. We don't hold leaders accountable. Our inner warrior becomes our inner jellyfish.
Maybe when we crave above all else to belong to any person or group, no matter how noble the pursuit, no matter how the end justifies the means, we find ourselves allowing this entity to become the god of our lives? Do we find ourselves no longer living by revelation from Christ, but from the revelation of the group and it's leaders, trusting only in their lead?
What do you think? Where has belonging become dangerous?
What does belonging to Jesus look like?
12 comments:
Great thoughts.
Belonging becomes dangerous when it becomes the goal. No longer am I trying to live in community and serve others and follow Jesus: I just want to fit in.
This world is not our home, and to a degree, we will never fit in here.
Belonging becomes dangerous when it means following blindly. Turning a blind eye to wrongs.
Belonging to Jesus looks like servant leadership. Standing up for wrongs. Taking care of those who cannot take care of or speak for themselves. Recognizing leaders are human, they need accountability.
I heard just this past week that the community's sense of belonging is one of the things that makes it difficult for people in Japan to embrace Christianity.
Belonging to Jesus calls us to risk the total loss of belonging from our community, but then we are to continue to give back into the community, even though we may be marked as rejects.
I like that you used "crave" a couple of times. :-)
LM, you said it well: when belonging is the goal, it becomes dangerous. Your comment on the world not being our home and not really fitting in is also a good reminder. I always have a strong desire for "everyone to just get along" and I have found this can happen, and more, in the Body when there is love fostering accountability.
Stacy, thanks for dropping in. I agree with your comments and wonder how leaders ever get to the point of being above accountability? (The ones I know surround themselves with very weak people and run the ministry like a business. They are also bent on having total submission to their spiritual authority. I wonder what else contributes to this?)
Craver, thanks for stopping in, bro. I think you described the ministry of Jesus—not fitting in with the religious leaders of the day yet still loving, accepting and healing those within his reach. I didn't realize this about Japan, either. Is it the strong way their community ties in with their religion that hinders the church, are they rejected by the community if they become Christians?
As I understand it, there is a lot of pressure in Japan to go with the flow, and not rock the boat. Rugged individualism is not a welcome concept. Accepting Jesus as a "personal" savior is a slap in the face of their culture and societal standards.
So, to Craver's last observation... I should think that Jesus' offer of community with God and God's people might be intriguing for the would-be Japanese convert? Still, this could sever family ties... though Jesus spoke on that too (as if he anticipated our every fear!)
Laura, good observation: Jesus divides families, tells ua the world will hate us (and reject us). I too think it's amazing He would speak to this fear.
Just stopping in to say hi.
So...
"Hi."
what does putting it "above" look like? it looks like idolatry, sadly enough. and generally, we don't even realize it because what we thought we were getting was a group that all belonged to each other because they belonged to Christ.
This is a beautiful & insightful post. There is a delicate balance between being the unique unique & individual creations God has called us to be, and feeling the acceptance and belonging of a group. I wonder, is there a place where the two are in perfect balance, and one is not sacrificed at the expense of the other? I'm willing to bet the farm Christ balanced the two perfectly. How can I learn to do this?
I also wanted to let you know, I finally answered your question about the books. I thought it warranted a complete post!
halfmom, I agree wholeheartedly that it is idolatry, and I think I was guilty of this although I masked it as "suffering for the sake of the gospel" I also agree we belong together as believers for the pure and simple reason that we are His.
Kirsten, thanks for stopping in, love your comments...I think in the Body we have times where we achieve that balance you speak of as we listen to the Lord, obey and love one another in accountability, and holding together through it all.
I worked with a large missions group where the leaders were abusive with power and difficult to keep accountable. As they lived "above the law", I watched family after family pull up roots because "belonging" came with too high of a price. Still baffles me why there are still families there. (We were kicked out after confronting the president of the org, and although he repented in many tears, three weeks later we got the boot.)
Lewis (one of your top authors...yes, I read your blog) said "Mankind is so fallen that no man can be trusted with unchecked power over his fellows. Aristotle said that some people were only fit to be slaves. I do not contradict him. But I reject slavery because I see no men fit to be masters."
So here's to belonging, but with accountability!
"Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ." Ephesians 5:21
Beautiful.
Oh dear, you're tagged. It just seemed like the thing to do.
Hop over to see, at...
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