Belonging and Becoming
- Christine Labrum
- Apr 9
- 4 min read
Updated: Sep 2
Connections Conference 2025, Belonging to Become, Disciples of Jesus
What deepens your sense of belonging? How does belonging influence our becoming, our journey toward becoming more like Jesus? This question has resonated with me for weeks. It encapsulates the theme of the Connections Conference 2025 with Curt Thompson and CBK, the Center for Being Known.
The Power of Belonging
There is something incredibly powerful and hopeful about the experience of belonging. We are inherently designed to belong—first to God and then to each other. James Bryan Smith beautifully states, "I am divinely designed, deeply desired, lavishly loved, fully forgiven, a sacred story of grace ~ never to be repeated."
Yet, the painful experience of feeling outside, flawed, sidelined, diminished, or rejected began with the fall in Genesis 3 and continues today. Isolation and sin can wound our hearts, stealing our energy, confidence, and joy. Many experiences in our broken world can fragment us internally, separate us from one another, and obscure the belonging that God offers within the love of the Trinity.
The Struggles We Face
The struggles that contribute to our sense of isolation include:
Rejection and attack
Unhealed wounds
Ruptures in relationships
Feeling unseen
Sin and failure
And more...
Despite these challenges, God continually invites us into belonging.
A Personal Journey of Belonging and Becoming
For years now, I have driven to a ministry where my daughter participated and volunteered. Sometimes I would make the journey weekly, and other times less frequently. There is a church along a particular curve on this road in Pennsylvania. It had beautiful stained-glass windows, and I longed to see them from the inside. This desire lingered with me.
Finally, one day I paid attention to desire... and perhaps a nudge from the Spirit. I took the time to search for the church's name, contact the office, and ask if I could visit. A few days later I was pulling into the parking lot rather than driving by. With gracious hospitality, the church secretary led me into the old sanctuary. I was surrounded by vibrant artistic glass designs, and the light streaming through created a display of color. One image stood out among many—the only image with figures. It depicted Jesus with two women, Mary and Martha. My heart was captivated. Two disciples. Two women. Women like me.
In that sacred space, I encountered God. I experienced a deeper sense of belonging and felt my heart encouraged as a female disciple through the art displayed in that church. Light shining through the image strengthened my intent to keep following, serving, and creating art as I served like Martha and sat at Jesus’ feet like Mary.
The Role of Art in Our Journey
Art can serve as a roadmap for our souls. Stories, artwork, poetry, and the beauty of creation inspire us and provide a vision for what matters and what could be. A picture leads us forward, much like a map. A poem hydrates our soul, like water nourishes our body—think of the Psalms. A story strengthens us during times of weariness. Consider how Moses' hands were held up by Aaron and Hur (Exodus 17) or how Naomi was companioned by Ruth.
Images can bring clarity in moments of overwhelm. Remember how God painted an experiential picture for Elijah when he felt weary and disillusioned in 1 Kings 19. Art can slow us down and deepen our experience. It invites us to reflect when we feel harried and hurried, caught up in urgent tasks and busy agendas.
Art captures profound truths and allows them to access our hearts in unique ways. This deepens our sense of belonging to God, our Creator. When we live into our belonging to our Creator, we become all He intended us to be. He will complete the work He has started in us when we willingly say, "Yes" to God.
The Call to Community
Perhaps you are drawn to the theme of the Connections Conference 2025, Belonging to Become. We are created to belong to God and to one another. I am honored to participate in the conference this year as both an artist and a speaker. You are warmly invited to join us on this transformative journey.
Find out more here:
"We long for the beauty and goodness of deeply connected, creative relationships. However, the world in which we live bears the evidence of violence that emerges from our fear and our shame, expressing itself in some form of social hierarchy. This has been a feature of human civilization for virtually as long as we have been civilized. But there is hope in our suffering, hope that emerges in confessional communities that strive to tell each person’s story truly—thus revealing the story of the community that God is preparing in His kingdom. As we gaze upon beauty amidst the grief inflicted by violence, we give God access to transform us. In this way, we belong—both to Him and to each other—while we reflect the image of the God we bear." Curt Thompson, MD
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