Something that's attractive to me about sports is the camaraderie, the solidarity. It doesn't seem to matter what the sport or skill competition is, if you are on the team, you're expected to buy in. There's a bond that's formed through working toward the goal together. This feeling also seems to bleed into the supporters of the sports team or individual. Like little subcultures, fans get together for tailgates, watch parties and bettor viewing. We find our tribe, sometimes by birth, sometimes by location, often by choice. We buy merchandise for our homes, offices and wardrobes to identify our crew to the rest of the world. For what it's worth, go Yankees, NY Rangers, Blazers, Colts, Liverpool and Timbers, Oregon Ducks, Kentucky Wildcats!
It's been said, The purpose of man is to know and be known. I think another way to express this is the sense of belonging. As teammates or fellow fans, we belong. We know and are known in competition. We stand together, with a common bond, and face the opposition together. James Fahy said, "Nothing unites humans like a common enemy." We build strong bonds when we fight together. Soldiers who have faced opposing troops together often become lifelong friends. We build relationships in groups with a common goal or enemy (opponent): athletic teams, religious congregations, schools, anonymous meetings, hobby clubs, etc. I feel closest to the few folks with whom I've stood side by side, in the face of disappointment, and metaphorically waged war, arm in arm, victory or defeat. We form crews, clubs, gangs with like-minded others and fuel the sense of belonging we need.
It could follow, and I believe it does, that our sense of identity is a function of our belonging or not. Knowing and being known teaches us who we are. Allow me to propose that identity is a set thing and our sense of it doesn't change it, prove or disprove it. Like our belief in something doesn't prove or disprove its existence, our identity is not dependent on our understanding of it. Many of us and people we know struggle with one form of identity crises or another. The bride and I are constantly speaking to, championing, the identity of our adopted children because their understanding of it is so traumatized. Our belonging seems to be the natural process to knowing who we are.
I've often said, There's only love and fear. All other emotions are derived from those. Now, I recognize we all use the word love in many ways. I endorse that Love is a person: my creator and God. Therefore, all things that I love ought to be targets of my most holy effort. I certainly love the individuals that belong to my groups. I've invested holy effort in them and the sense of belonging is rooted in love. I've heard apathy is the opposite of love, but I argue that apathy is rooted in fear of failure. So, if fear is the opposite of love, then our fear of rejection is the enemy of belonging. These feelings of fear often keep us from buying in and giving of our most holy effort. The fear prohibits us from knowing who we are, even distracts us from truth and can cause us to think we're something we're not, that we don't belong.
I got a text from a good friend recently reminding me to remember to whom I belong. My identity is completely grounded in knowing to whom I belong. I belong to Love. While many groups, buddies, fans claim me and I claim them, the loudest voice teaching me who I am is God. He created me and you. Though my belief doesn't prove whether or not that's truth, I bask in His acceptance of my holy effort and I accept the reconciliation offered at the cross when I miss that mark. Whether you and I always understand it or not, we belong. As we open to know and be known, we'll sense that more and more. Remember to whom you belong.
Commentaires