The Vision for Radix Fidem

As always, I don’t pretend to speak for you, only myself.

What vision drives me regarding the Radix Fidem covenant? I’m hoping to see the rise of a biblical community of faith, a tribal and feudal covenant nation. Obviously, this would be something that never assimilates into the local society. I doubt we could ever be as big as, say Roma (Gypsy) communities or Orthodox Jewish communities, but a Radix Fidem presence on this earth would appear to be somewhat like that to the locals.

Side note: Here in America, the closest model would be the Romanichal. In Oklahoma, they pronounce it “Romachill” and the people are hard to nail down as an ethnic group. It’s more a matter of cultural orientation and value system; they aren’t much for physical property, but invest a lot in experiences. They are distinctly patriarchal in one sense, yet their women have an influence that is significant, though comes from a different angle than feminism. They are distinctly non-Western, except for being cowboy oriented. I’m related to some of them, so it’s only natural that this a primary source for my model.

Think about the Call of Abraham. The Lord commanded him to become a nomad, something his people despised. I’m not sure what the modern day version should look like; all I have is my own inclinations to go on. Still, I sense that being capable of nomadic living is a symbol of what really matters in terms of applying Biblical Law. That kind of adaptability and independence is essential to the “called out” covenant lifestyle.

Then again, I would always insist it’s a matter of where your heart is, not the physical facts of your daily existence. I am really very reluctant to establish any kind of precedent for others to follow. I don’t want to own this thing. The vision excludes me doing that. It’s not valid unless people are free to make their own adaptations to the local context.

Still, I dream of something like a culturally biblical/Hebraic kind of Romanichal scattered over the whole earth. I’m sure you could think up your own models from human history, or even from fictional sources.

So are you surprised that I like the idea of bicycle touring? There’s something inside of me that longs for that kind of existence. It’s very much a “who I am” kind of thing. But rather than saddle folks with my personal background, I’m driven to seek something that is more universal, unconstrained by particulars. The whole idea is to free folks from the materialistic obsessions that characterize most human cultures. Without that sense of having nowhere in particular to lay our heads (Luke 9:58), we struggle to grasp the full impact of what Jesus taught.

This world is not my home
I’m just a-passin’ through
My treasures are laid up
Somewhere beyond the blue
(“This World Is Not My Home”)

Another side note: The song was published by Albert E. Brumley as the arranger of the hymn version, but the words have been around, with some variation, since at least 1919. It appears the song is one of those old “Negro Spirituals” from the South. This helps to explain how the song captures the otherworldly viewpoint. It comes from a people who had no hope of ever having much in the first place, except for a deep longing to be in Heaven.

It can’t be just a movement, as if it depends on human strength and points to a concrete goal. The only goal, as it were, is to exist, to have a presence and witness in this world. God alone can say what it means to be consistent, to have a character that is recognizable everywhere. We can get hints of that, but I sincerely hope in practice that it defies easy description by outsiders.

If the name “Radix Fidem” outlives me, I hope it’s associated with that kind community.