Don’t you love watching videos where people on the street are read different quotes, promises, and platform stances for a political candidate they support. You know, the ones where they predictably they agree with everything they hear. They elaborate on why that’s such a good idea. They profess that how they unequivocally share the exact views, as if they were their very own. It’s settled, the other candidate is a bum and their candidate is the only candidate they could possibly vote for.
Then boom! A twist. The savvy street host reveals the quotes they’ve been reading are actually things from the hated rival! This poor soul, unsuspecting and uniformed, just agreed to vote for the candidate they disdain. For the whole world to see. It’s really pretty funny. I chuckle every time. It’s also pretty depressing. It means there are people out there, of all ideologies, who blindly and unapologetically follow the group they identify with, regardless of consequences. It’s a terrifying thought. But why does it happen?
People are innately wired to define their life, their worth, their identity, by something greater than themself. We know our bodies, our psyche, our souls are not the bounds of existence. We know, in the core of who we are, the individual self is inadequate to fully encompass the meaning of our existence. We’re know we’re small and we’re defined by bigger things. Things outside of ourselves. Without attaching to something greater and drawing worth and purpose from it, a human being fells inadequate and incomplete. There’s something missing. The toaster isn’t plugged into the outlet.
It’s an honest view of human existence. We can learn to self-love, but we cannot simply manifest self-worth.
The rules of grammar tell us that we can’t use a word to define itself. If someone asks you what a banana taste like, you are completely useless in helping them if you say “like a banana” or “very banana-ish.” Likewise, people cannot ascribe worth to themself based on themself. We need external definition. The question is, what should define us.
The need for external definition is why people rush to identify with political parties, sports teams, ethnic groups, religions, social clubs and social movements. We need to belong to something greater than ourselves. We need a social identity just as much as we need a healthy self identity. But like anything, an unquestioned, unchecked, collective social identity can be dangerous. It can even cause the best of people to morally compromise and blindly sacrifice of their individual self. Collective social Identity is powerful. It’s a force that once embraced, is incredibly difficult to overcome. It takes incredible strength to let go of the things you identify yourself with, even if you know those things are wrong.
Sometimes we sacrifice what we know is right to remain firmly accepted by the “right group,” but that doesn’t automatically make you right. And it doesn’t mean people in the ”wrong group” are automatically wrong. Right is right. Wrong is wrong. What group your in, or your collective social identity, is irrelevant. Sometimes people in the “wrong group” are right. And sometimes people in the “right group” are wrong. That’s why it’s critical not to blindly pledge your allegiance to any collective social identity. The responsibility rest on your shoulders to constantly test and see that you haven’t chosen your social identity offer what’s right.
Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world. - 1 John 4:1
So yes, you should test your political party. Yes, you should test the causes you support. Yes, you should test your friends. Yes, you should test your Pastor. You may find they’re right. You may find that they’re not.
Dr. Steve Brown said, “Never assume your pastor speaks from Sinai.” Sometimes the experts get it wrong. Sometimes great leaders make bad decisions. Those are moments we should extend uncommon grace. Those aren’t the moments we should embrace unquestioned loyalty.
How do we avoid being duped into supporting, and even advocating for things we believe are wrong? We have to know who we are independent of political party, social identity, or religious affiliation. You have to know what defines you.
I truly hope we’re not naive enough to believe the social constructs around us are infallible. I hope we never blindly align ourselves with an ideology. I hope we never fall into the trap of defining our humanity by humanity.
We know that something outside of ourselves must to define who we are. We also know we shouldn’t let our collective social identity define us in such a way that it forces us to morally compromise or embrace things that are wrong. So we broaden the scope and allow ourselves to be defined by something beyond the thing we are a part of. Something outside of mere humanity. God, our Creator, is the only one who can adequately and accurately define of who we are. God gives us immutable value through His Holy Spirit living within us. He drew up the blueprints, and by definition, He is the only one that can define us.
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