Tribalism

A cracking example of tribalism today. I was with a group of Kenyan men, all godly men and preachers. One of them had a newspaper - the front page story was Senator Barack Obama's sealing of the Democratic nomination for the US presidency.

They all wanted Senator Obama to win in November. Then I explained some of Senator Obama's policies on abortion; I could have mentioned his position on gay rights too - both positions would be considered an abomination to any Kenyan-in-the-street, let alone a Christian.

This was all news to them. They'd never asked what his policy positions on anything were. They just knew that his father was a Kenyan!

Interestingly, had he been running for office in Kenya itself, I suspect some of them would have not voted for him not just because of the above but because he wouldn't be the right tribe within Kenya - not "one of us"; but seeing as he's running for US president he is one of us!

Surely you never think in this tribal way... do you? Service ends at church... you look up... no, I won't go and speak to him/her - he's not one of us. I'll go and speak to him over there instead, because he's the same age/interests/job etc.... surely not.