Identity and Group Loyalty

We all have multiple identities. In complex culture, most people have ties to a number of social groups in addition to personal roles: job, religion, friendships, neighborhoods, and volunteering. Each person is in control of how significant each identity is in his or her life. The deep level identity is where the foundation of a person’s identity resides. It is at that level of one’s identity that evaluates, informs, and controls decision-making and behavior.

Paul Hiebert offered the following illustration of how shuffling these identities might work. He pictures three levels. However, in complex culture there are often many more than three. We all acquire an identity from each group we belong to. A person may be a Democrat, a Methodist, a Bostonian, Swiss, a Red Sox fan, a Rotarian, a teacher, a husband, a wife, a parent, etc.). And each is ordered according to that person’s priorities. However, only one can be the deep level identity, the foundational element of that person’s identity. That identity determines the order and the importance of the others. These identities are constantly competing for that place, and in complex culture, it can happen that the priorities become skewed

The classic example of this is the person whose profession has become the foundation. The family and church become less of a priority. One telltale sign is broken promises, to wife, husband, and children.

For most people who have recently moved, some deep level identities are often left behind (family, church, etc.). They will soon seek similar new relationships, especially if they arrive by themselves. A new deep level identity will quickly be formed.

Shifting identities is not just an exercise in easy preference, like the kind of ice cream one enjoys. Deep-level identities have deep meaning and carry consequences for the person making the choices.

Each identity will come into play in the appropriate context. In certain situations, a person’s identities may come into conflict with each other, like becoming a first-time parent.

Let’s look at a few examples of how this works. For Person A, her faith is the most important thing in her life. But she is also a history professor and belongs to the Rotary Club. If the university or a Rotary Club event were to conflict with a church event, she will always do her best to arrange her schedule to make attendance at the church event possible. Her Christian values inform and even override clashing value judgments she needs to make. She would, for example, have uncompromising commitment to truth, goodness, forgiveness, peacemaking, mercy, etc.

For Person B, the most important part of his identity is his membership in the Democratic Party. He takes great interest in whatever is happening in the party at the local, state, and national level. It makes no difference if it is on Sunday, or Kiwanis has scheduled something, person B will always choose the Democratic Party meetings. All of his value decisions will conform to party values, even when they might conflict with his values as a Christian. For example, a Roman Catholic who is a Democrat might embrace the use of birth control over his church’s stand against it.

Shifting        

Such shifting can be observed when someone accepts Christ. At that point, one’s pre-Christian identity will still be part of that person’s life. However, as that person turns his or her life and loyalty over to Christ and joins the Church, he or she has added a new identity. This new identity may, at first, not conform completely to the values of the Church or the Christian faith. Often the new convert does not yet have a good grasp of biblical knowledge and a Christian value system.

It takes time for the new identity to work its way through the identities of the old life. The new Christian needs a church community to form values and loyalties. It takes instruction in the Scriptures, mentoring, accountability, and time to form a deep-level identity. It takes time for a new convert to make Christianity his or her foundational identification.

In West Berlin, a couple that had just accepted Christ began attending our church. I noticed that they attended worship every other Sunday and asked them why. “Oh, we love dancing competitively, and our club meets every other Sunday morning.” “Well,” I replied, “just make sure you pray, read the Bible together every day, and fall in love with Jesus.” A few months later, I noticed they were in worship two Sundays in a row. I approached them, “I thought you two were supposed to be dancing today.” “Oh, pastor, we have decided we need to be here on Sunday morning.” Their new identification with Christ had quite naturally, with the Holy Spirit’s guidance, taken priority over their prior deeper-level identities.

We must remember the faithfulness of the Holy Spirit to do His job. When we give well-meaning advice to new Christians about what their deep-level identity should be we run the risk of taking over His responsibility. We want new Christians to recognize His voice when He speaks, not our voices. Christian maturation is evident when one’s Christian identity moves toward becoming deep-level.

What are some additional indications of deep-level identity?

How do you instill deep-core identities in your children?

At what point do we act on our deep-core identity in every-day situations?

What are the deep-level identities of Christians in America?