Beyond Tribalism And For the Kingdom

“Tribalism” has become somewhat of a buzzword in today’s culture. Small business owners frequently refer to customers as their tribe. Thought leaders who develop a strong following on YouTube often refer to these followers as their tribe. Politicians talk about their constituents as if they were in their tribe.

Tribalism has seeped into almost every aspect of culture today.

Essentially, tribalism is the behavior and attitudes that stem from strong loyalty to one’s own tribe or social group. However, it manifests itself in many different forms. Politically, there are Conservative and Liberal tribes. Culturally, there are tribes that revolve around issues of race, gender, and social justice.

Much of the time, tribalism is relatively harmless. It’s the guy who buys a Harley-Davidson so he can hang with his buddies. It’s the young couple who join the tiny house movement and find camaraderie with others who are more minimalistic in their thinking.

Christians are not exempt from tribalism.

It’s everywhere. In years past, the boundaries of tribalism within the church were usually defined by denominational lines. Methodists ran with Methodists, Baptists with Baptists, and Presbyterians with…well, you get the picture.

Issues Driven Tribalism

Interestingly, over the past couple of years, I have noticed that those in my millennial generation seem to have shifted away from denominational tribalism and toward issue-driven tribalism. Social justice matters such as gender rights, racial matters, and humanitarian relief have become hot-button topics among my peers.

The question is not so much, “What is your dogma or belief?” Instead, it is “How do you feel about this issue?” How someone else responds to that question determines whether or not they fit into their tribe.

And in case you hadn’t noticed, tribalism is becoming increasingly louder with the megaphone of social media. But social media brings a unique challenge humanity has never quite faced before. It is the challenge of profiling a person in a few simple clicks, without even having the opportunity to speak with them.

Now, there is a part of me that says tribalism is just silly. It’s insignificant. It will always exist and isn’t a big deal. But through further reflection, I feel it is one of the greatest challenges Christians in Canadian and US cultures face today, and it is something we must take seriously.

Three Things Tribalism Does

Why is tribalism so serious? Here are a few reasons:

1) Tribalism Draws a Line

By its very nature, tribalism separates. This is not always a negative. Movements like the Great Reformation could be seen as tribalistic uprisings,, but they were also very important. Tribalism draws a line in the sand and says, “You are on that side, and I am on this side.”

2) Tribalism Becomes Our Lens For Reality

When we subscribe to a tribe, this often becomes our lens through which we see the world. Again, this can be good if we are right, but it can be devastating if we are wrong.

3) Tribalism Tends to Become the Default

When someone’s family and friends live within a tribalistic environment, it is tough to make decisions that are outside that tribe. You see this a lot in politics.

Tribalism encourages us to toe the party line. It discourages us from thinking objectively about issues because the consequences for doing so might be too great.

Paul's Solution

As someone who has dealt with tribalism, I find Paul's words in Philippians 4:1-3 refreshing. He writes:

So then, my dearly loved and longed for brothers and sisters, my joy and crown, in this manner stand firm in the Lord, dear friends. I urge Euodia and I urge Syntyche to agree in the Lord. Yes, I also ask you, true partner, to help these women who have contended for the gospel at my side, along with Clement and the rest of my coworkers whose names are in the book of life.

Paul begins by expressing deep love for fellow believers, calling them his joy and crown, and urging them to stand firm in the Lord together. He is speaking to people who share a common identity and purpose, yet he immediately addresses a conflict between Euodia and Syntyche.

These women were not on the margins. They had labored alongside him for the gospel, and their names were counted among those who belong to God. Even within a faithful, committed community, disagreement had taken root.

Rather than falling into the trap of tribalism, Paul calls both of them back to unity in the Lord. He also invites others to step in and help restore that unity, showing that this kind of division affects more than just the individuals involved. The focus remains on shared identity and shared mission, not personal alignment or preference.

For the Kingdom

While tribalism within Christianity will always continue to exist to some degree, the solution to the negative effects of tribalism is having a Kingdom perspective. It’s going back to God’s Word, without the filter of our current culture, and asking ourselves: What are the big Kingdom principles that I MUST get right?

There are certainly many things that could fit into this category. The gospel, loving God and loving others, and fulfilling the Great Commission would be among the nonnegotiables for me. But if you were to pin my back against a wall (hopefully not literally) and make me choose one word that separates what I view as Big Kingdom-minded people and Small Kingdom-minded people, it would be faith.

I want to be around people who have great faith. Using the definition that my professor, Dr. Allan Brown, gave in college, true faith 1) Believes what God says, 2) Commits to do what God requires, and 3) Trusts and rests on God’s promises.

It’s people who demonstrate these three qualities in their lives that I want to be around. I want to be close to people who love God’s Word, regardless of whether they fit into my box. I want to be around people who are obedient. People who are obeying Christ’s commands to go out into all the world and proclaim the gospel. I want to be around others who are actively raising up disciples. I want to be close to those people who have a peace about them in the midst of tremendous storms.

Are We Tribalistic Or Kingdom Focused?

So, how do we know if we are more tribalistic or Kingdom-focused? Here are some questions to ask:

• Do I celebrate new people coming to faith in Christ in other Christ-centered churches just as much as I do when they come to faith in the church I attend?
• If someone leaves my church, do I stop associating with them?
• Among the top five strongest Christians I respect in my life, are any of them from a different denominational or tribalistic persuasion?
• In my prayers for God to send a spiritual revival to my community, would I be okay with him using a group different from mine to do it?
• Do I evaluate a person’s spiritual maturity based on their faith in God or on the basis of whether or not they fit my tribal qualifications?
• Are my decisions about attending the church I attend based on how that church glorifies God and spreads his name to the world, or on the name on the sign?

There will always be groups within Christianity. I’m not naively calling for some utopian dream world where every person from every tribe sees eye to eye on every issue (I guess we’ll have to wait until Heaven for that). And there are times when tribalistic communities can actually be an effective tool for accomplishing kingdom purposes.

We just have to keep the order right. Kingdom and then tribalism, and never in reverse. In the words of Jesus in Matthew 6:33: "But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you."