A long time ago, I used to sing in a Choral Society. It was a very eclectic group of people of varying talents who were there to make a cheerful noise. I also learnt what the dots and squiggles on the page were all about. We would practice zealously for several months and then put on a concert. Nobody got grumpy if you hit the odd bung note or even several bung notes. Each was there to support their colleagues and to work together for a common purpose. I should also point out that this Choral Society was not connected to my parish in any way. It was a purely secular group, although many of us did practice some kind of faith.
When it came time to leave that parish and move to another, there were lots of things that I walked away from, but I especially missed the Choral Society because they were ‘my tribe’.
That is, they were a collection of people, a community where I knew I belonged. I had a specific task (usually to make some bodgy tenor type noises) and everyone there supported and encouraged me in my endeavours.
This leaving of ‘the tribe’ happens all the time. It will be felt sharply by those who are finishing primary school or secondary school in the coming weeks. It will happen to those who simply move from one community to another. It is excruciating for those who are transitioning into care. It’s not easy, but it is often necessary. It is harder still for those who are shy and do not make connections easily.
The good news is that we are all called to be welcomers to those who come to our ‘tribe’. We were all new once, and everyone belongs to a tribe somewhere.