National Prayer Conference 2019, Arua

Remitting The Sins Of Tribalism And Racism

The Trinity teaches us that God is relational. Being created in the image of God means that mankind too was created for relationships and community. Since the beginning of human history people have lived in tribes for the purpose of protection, provision, and personal relationships.

Each of us participates in a number of “tribes.” However, tribalism is a group attitude of undeserved pride and superiority based solely on identification with a group. It is the tendency to look down on other people for no other reason than they don’t belong to the group. Often it includes looking down on members of the group who are not perceived as “native” to it.

In the traditional sense, a tribe usually has boundaries although broadly speaking a tribe might be loosely organized with unclear boundaries. Always, however, a tribe has a strong center, a person or relic of some kind that is the group’s identity idol. Tribalism isn’t just a problem for unbelievers – even members of the family of God are finding themselves feeling divided with one another over issues that can be traced back to “tribalism”. Tribalism undergirded slavery, colonialism and much of the trouble African communities continue to experience today.

From a biblical point of view, tribalism is sin. Jesus confronted tribalism among the Jewish leaders of his day and so did Apostle Paul. Tribalism is an enemy of the church, a tool of the powers and authorities that set themselves up against God’s authority. God’s truth is that all men are made in his image and all men can be brought into the body of Christ, the holy Christian nation.

So what does the bible say about tribes? What are the sins of tribalism? What are the signs and symptoms of tribalism? How can a person recognize and avoid it? How should a disciple of Christ respond to issues related to ethnicity, tribalism, and racism? How can the church respond to tribalism and racism? How is the Church God’s answer to man’s tribalism?

These matters will be the focus of the upcoming Intercessors for Uganda National Conference to be held in Arua Municipality, North Western Uganda. Arrival will be on the 13th August and departure on the 18th August 2019. You are all welcome to participate in this strategic intercessory convocation.