Identity: The ongoing integration of our heritage and our allegiance

Abstract

Identity is a key issue as people negotiate transition between communities in today’s world. This article proposes a model of identity as a process of integration between the node of origin or heritage – where we have come from – and the node of desire or allegiance – where we place our loyalty. The node of origin may be the intersection of different contributing communities. Ways of using our bodies and community rituals are formative of our identity. Models embody community values. The process of integration (or disintegration) between the nodes of womb and heart shapes who we are becoming. Giving allegiance to Jesus brings changes across both nodes, redefining other loyalties and relationships. The node of origin is not displaced but repurposed. We gain new models. A shift of community, particularly of faith, can include disjuncture on the way to resolution, but not abandonment. Dual belonging enables both origin and allegiance to be honoured. This model suggests that discipleship requires three tasks: of narrative, of relationship and of practice (re-formed behaviour).