Was headed to bed the other night and flipping the channels when I got fascinated by a documentary on PBS called “Ferrets: The Pursuit of Excellence”.
The documentary followed a group of ferret owners at the Buckeye Bash Ferret Show. These were not just any ferrets. They were show ferrets. Ferrets of the highest caliber who had been bred to compete and be judged.
I started watching out of a bizarre wonder that people would spend that much time grooming, and thinking, and working, and daydreaming about ferrets.
It seemed to me like a weird little community, but then I realized that is was just like every other sub-culture. You can change the subject, environment, and lingo, but it’s the emotions that are the same.
There is nothing different about the “Ferret people” that isn’t exhibited by a group of guys who are cheering on their favorite team, or people who are fans of a certain series of books, or folks like me who are hopelessly addicted to LOST.
We all have lingo and terms that are foreign to people who are on the outside. Cover 2 and Mike. Lothlorien and Hogwarts. The Hatch and the Dharma Initiative. These are all cultural shorthand within our respective sub-cultures. Anyone who isn’t a part doesn’t understand.
These respective sub-cultures are made up of people who are looking to connect; people are wanting to be a part of something. Where they are safe to share their passions and joys without the fear of ridicule.
More thoughts to come on sub-cultures and how they might relate to the Church. But first, what sub-cultures do you participate in? College football? Are you a Mac fiend? Cars? Shoes?
Whether we know it or not, we are all a part of some sub-culture.
Filed under: church, Church Innovation, culture, Leadership, Marketing & Promotion | Tagged: "Buckeye Bash", "The Pursuit of Excellence", community, culture, ferrets, PBS, sub-culture | 1 Comment »
UPFRONT with John Darnell 