But you are not like that, for you are a chosen people. You are royal priests, a holy nation, God’s very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light. Once you had no identity as a people; now you are God’s people. Once you received no mercy; now you have received God’s mercy. 1 Peter 2:9-10
What if the family you need most isn’t the one you were born into—but the one God created for you?
When an Afghan family fled to a new country, they expected bureaucracy—not belonging. What they found instead was something far more personal. Saida and her family arrived with little but determination. That’s when a circle of local volunteers stepped in—not a government program, but ordinary people who simply cared.
They offered housing, legal help, healthcare, and transportation. Saida, once a respected business leader, had since launched two small businesses of her own. Her sister is thriving in school. And in one remarkable act of welcome, a local church opened its kitchen once a month for a free Afghan community meal—cooked and served by Saida through her new catering venture. The families who once came as refugees found more than safety. They found belonging. They found a tribe.
God says this idea of a “tribe”—a family not bound by bloodlines—is His idea. From the very beginning, His plan was for His people to live united in His identity and glued together by love. Scripture declares: ” … You are a chosen people. You are royal priests, a holy nation, God’s very own possession” (1 Peter 2:9-10 excerpted).
When you follow Jesus, you become part of a worldwide tribe with a purpose. The Bible continues: ”As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. Once you had no identity as a people; now you are God’s people” (1 Peter 2:9–10 excerpted).
God invites us into His tribe—then calls us to welcome others into it with His love.
