The danger of the “club” mentality

The views expressed herein are solely those of the writer.

Sometime ago I attended a religious ceremony which was also attended by several persons whom I knew well in another life. That other life was the life of a clergyman in a mainline denomination.

After the ceremony ended and we were all dispersing to leave the location, I observed that while a number of persons expressed joy in seeing me after my many years abroad, some others tried to subtly avoid me. There was a moment when I  “cornered” a couple of prominent members of the denomination who were travelling together as friends. In that moment I said to them “fellers, we are not enemies you know. Why are you avoiding me? We are on the same team if we are working for the Lord”. As you can imagine, it was an awkward moment. I could see the embarrassment on their faces. These had been my friends. However, since I left the denomination, they apparently see me as “persona nongrata” because I left their prominent club.

In my transition from the denomination, I discovered the extent to which the “club” mentality has plagued our small nation societies. You will be celebrated and lifted up once you remain a faithful and active member of the club, proudly flaunting its emblems and announcing its name as the organization to which you belong.

However, once you leave that organization you begin to feel the estrangement – even from the people you thought were your friends. It is as if your friendship and worth only had value on the basis of your club membership. This takes me to the larger point that I really want to make in this article – The malady of political club membership.

Just as I have discovered in the religious circles, many of you may have discovered in the political arena, that once you changed political party affiliation or once you made it known that you support a political party, even your formerly “good friends” distance themselves from you. Some of them may even berate and castigate you when they get the opportunity to do so because you are now a “betrayer of the club”. This is a sad state of affairs; and it is dangerous. It is sad because it created unnecessary tensions and breakdown in relationships that can be strategic and productive. It is dangerous because it creates a religious and a political tribalism that prevents potential allies and gifted individuals from collectively solving the problems of our small nation societies.

How can it be that neighbors do not talk to or trust each other because they both leave on Saturday or Sunday morning to attend two different churches? How can it be that two former good buddies or high school pals or close blood relatives see the other as untrustworthy because they support the opposite political party? This is the reality that is on display in St.Vincent  and the Grenadines at the time this article is being written.

For some years now the Lord has clearly opened my eyes to one life changing awareness – that two of the most formidable  and effective strategies of the devil and his evil kingdom are a) religious denominations and b) political parties. Consequently, the Lord has shown me that what we need to solve a lot of society’s problems is a united body of believers (I don’t mean a one-world church), combined with a partyless society. Both of these seem idealistic. Nevertheless, if you desire an ideal society, you must consider and implement idealistic solutions.

What club do you belong to? Or perhaps more importantly – what club have you left? An important footnote that you should always keep at the forefront of your mind is that when you leave “the club” it is one of your best opportunities to grow or to mature and to extend your borders beyond the limitations and the stifling pressures of the club. If you can do this while doing the necessary introspection and personal adjustments, yours will be the world of awesome possibilities and joys. If you have already discovered this, congratulations. If you are at a crossroad, may God help you to make the leap in faith, knowing that you will be alright.

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Apostle Dr. Dillon Burgin is an author, a playwright and an advocate.

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