How can I find my tribe?
May 07, 2024
As humans we long to belong. This is normal. We find sub-groups with whom we relate the most and gather with, or identify with them. They might even become our tribe. The nation of Israel is famous for its 12 tribes that descended from Jacob. These tribes had distinct characteristics, strengths, weaknesses and destinies even as they made up a whole. But we miss the bigger picture if we don’t see a “tribe” that preceded and succeeded these tribes.
Hebrews 7:13 “He of whom these things are said belonged to a different tribe...”
Jesus belonged to a different tribe. He was a priest and a king who came from a mystical character in the Old Testament, the King of Salem or “king of Peace” whose name means “king of righteousness.” This king was Melchizedek, and it is along his likeness that Jesus defines our tribe.
Put another way, Melchizedek represented a kingdom that was not about the Law (that did nothing to justify us before God) but about something bigger. Similarly, the Kingdom of God is bigger than a church or denomination, an NGO or a business, a marketplace movement or a sub-tribe. Therefore, if you want to truly find your tribe you must look in the right place for a people with the right characteristics. When you find people who are not just talking about “The Kingdom of God” but living the purposes of God, the ways of God, the will of God then you will find your people group, your tribe, your “ethnos.”
Now, “ethnos” might send you into a traditional definition of tribe such as Armenian or Greek or Matabele or Zulu. Some years ago I did some research for Cisco systems to help them figure out how best to serve mid-market customers. I discovered, hiding in plain sight, a tribe I called the Global Business Consumer. How do you find your tribe—this is one question. The follow-on question should be, “How do I reach my tribe?” To address this let’s unpack the Global Business Consumer.
Working anywhere has made them Global: they identified not so much with a specific geography, but as global citizens. Their culture was (and still is) Business. They live in different cities on different continents, but they wear the same clothes, use the same software and speak Business 3.0. Finally, they behave like consumers: they therefore make consuming decisions whether from companies, governments or non-profits who are there to offer them products. They make life decisions in the same way they evaluate whether to get an iPhone or an Android. They are Global Business Consumers.
You find your tribe when you find Kingdom of God people who are not focused on building a sub-identity but on getting the big-picture job done. You reach your tribe when you go to where they are (the harvest is ripe in the marketplace) and speak their language (business) to offer them what they long for (meaning, purpose, an ability to have an eternal impact starting today)... eternal life.
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