We were created for belonging and connection. It is part of our DNA. In Genesis chapter two it says, “The LORD God said, ‘It is not good for the man to be alone…’” It’s why we are born into a family. Belonging is being part of a group, community, club, or tribe of people that contributes to a sense of identity and purpose. It is a place where we get to be ourselves, we are known, and we can contribute, in other words being an integral part of our community.
Belonging encompasses openness, safety, power, and wholeness.
- A community makes us feel invited, welcomed, and included. In Duane Elmer’s book, Cross-Cultural Servanthood, he writes, “Openness is rooted deeply in our view of the God who welcomes sinners and accepts them as bearers of his image; thus each person possess a sacred dignity – the kind of dignity that compels us to also welcome others into our lives,” (pg. 151).
- A safe community is vital for our need to be who we are without the need to hide parts of ourselves. It gives us permission to be human, to fail, and to breathe. We have agency to use our voice in communicating our self to others and to speak. The very nature of God’s voice as we see in Genesis 1:3, 26-28.
- In community we can have the ability to influence others. The ability to make something happen and have impact. We were meant to have influence, to regulate, to create, to govern, to impact. This is a God-given influence that we read in Genesis 1:28.
- Living an integrated life not a fragmented one is bringing our whole person. This is God’s loving-kindness to us, his intent for our wholeness.
Returning to your passport country after living abroad may bring about questions and doubts to your sense of belonging, identity, and purpose. Research suggests that people who feel connected to a community tend to have more confidence and a stronger sense of purpose in life because communities foster a sense of shared identity through shared common values, traditions, interests, and goals.
In the re-entry journey belonging often is one of the last pieces in the process that nurtures contentment in being settled once again. It usually takes the longest to cultivate and foster because it needs intentionality and time to both reconnect with communities and integrate into new communities. Having a community that understands these struggles can provide a space of people to share their experiences, find common ground, and establish a sense of belonging. Join the 'Are We There Yet? Navigating Re-Entry' Facebook group as you journey re-entry.
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