... Jesus' world was more riven with tribalism than our own, so we can learn from how he responds:
1 " Jesus is aware of tribal differences.
Jesus is aware of the tribal differences that plagued his world. Here's a short list of tribal tensions that we come across in the New Testament: Jews vs. Romans, Samaritans vs. Jews, Jew vs. Greek, Greek Jews vs. Hebrew Jews, Clean Jews vs. Unclean Jews, Sinful Jews vs. Pure Jews, Pharisees vs. Sadducees, Rich vs. Poor, Men vs. Women.
When Jesus asks the Samaritan woman (John 4) for a drink, he knows that Jews abhor drinking from vessels that Samaritans have used. He's aware that Pilate has power over him and he openly respects that power when he tells Pilate in John 16, "My kingdom is from another world." That is, "Pilate, I'm no threat to you." I was telling this to my granddaughter Claire, who's off to college this year, and she said, "Jesus is woke!"
It seems trite to say that Jesus was aware of tribalism, but when you are in a more privileged tribe, you can miss what it feels like to be in a "weaker" tribe. Reflecting back on my ten years working in urban Christian schools, that was true of me. I loved the kids and parents I worked with. I was immersed in their world, caring for them, sacrificing for them, and just enjoying them. We, and especially Jill, endured significant financial hardship during those years. We started a Christian school in West Philly (CitySchool.org) with the express purpose of fostering a multi-racial witness to Jesus. Our first three children went to the school and all developed deep cross-cultural friendships. We were "all in." ...
