Chaplain’s Corner

Who Is Your Tribe?

Do you remember your first day of high school? I do. Ballarat High 1992, Period 1, a whole school assembly – 1,200 students in one hall. Only one other student came from my primary school. It was all a little overwhelming! 

“Would I make friends? Or would I always sit alone?”, I asked myself. Eventually another boy sat down beside me, Sean McKenzie. We got chatting, he lived near me. I soon joined his football team, and we became good mates. After a time (though not as quickly as I may have liked), our two became three, then four, then six. We rode to school together every day. All meeting at Xavier’s house for some pre-school cricket before riding as a group to school.

I had found my tribe! 

When you are with your tribe you feel there are shared experiences and values that you don’t have to explain. People in your tribe … they just get it. They just get you. And when you finally find your people, this often feels like a relief, doesn’t it!? My encouragement in Chapel to Year 7 students, was “Do not panic!” You will find your people and your people will find you. For some, that happens quickly, for others, it will just take some time. Be patient. To be honest, with two years of lockdowns, there might even be some Year 9 students still looking for their tribe. It has been tougher to build community in lockdown!

Sometimes in life however, we do feel like we don’t belong. At school or even extended into adulthood. We all go through it. In some places and at some times, we may feel like we belong more than others and that’s ok, normal. 

For me, during Year 8 and 9, I really didn’t feel like I belonged at school at all. But during that time it became clear I belonged in other places, in other ways – at Youth Group, in my Bible Study, in my family, at Scouts. While I tried to fit in with my football team, that wasn’t who I was and wasn’t really my tribe at all … for others, the footy team was definitely their tribe. 

The key is, to keep looking for your tribe, you will know it when you have found it! Year 10 to Year 12 were amazing years at school!

Here is what I love about Jesus … He accepted people He met, right where they were at, who they were, mess and all. And He continues to extend an invitation for us all to be part of His tribe – His family. 

It is interesting to consider that Jesus never said ‘I’ll heal you if you follow Me!’, ‘I'll talk to you but only if you change your ways first.’ In the case of the blind man in John 9, He didn’t say follow me and then I’ll heal you … imagine that! The man wouldn’t know which way to follow, even if he tried. He was of course blind. 

The crippled man from Luke 5, who interrupted Jesus, lowered through the roof … he wasn’t asked to get in line and learn some manners first. No, Jesus healed, and He ministered, He extended hospitality, love, care and concern over and over again. He spoke hope and truth into people’s lives, and He healed. Then He simply stood back, the offer there … follow Me. It was then in the following, in the belonging, that lives were truly transformed. 

We are all looking for a place to belong, are we not? It’s my prayer that our Year 7s quickly find that sense of belonging here at Oxley, and that Oxley becomes their tribe, their family. As a Christian community let’s outwork daily the call of Christ, to love God and love others. It’s also my prayer that parents and families, new, or those who have been with us a longer time (yet perhaps still haven’t found that connection) – that you too, would find strong community soon!

Ephesians 1:3-5

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. For He chose us in Him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in His sight. In love He predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ.

God bless,

Ps Matt Daly

Chaplain