People want a place to belong.
The TV show CHEERS became wildly popular around the simple notion that ordinary characters just wanted a place of their own, in this case a neighborhood bar. Norm even had his own stool.
The chorus of the CHEERS theme song explains the entire premise of the show.
Sometimes you want to go
Where everybody knows your name
And they’re always glad you came
You want to be where you can see
Our troubles are all the same
You want to be where everybody knows your name
This need to belong isn’t an accident. We were created in God’s image, created by a community for community.
Sadly, we’ve seen how this desire – intended by God for good – can be twisted. Misguided (or evil) leaders draw people who feel isolated into tightly-controlled groups for personal power or financial gain, often leading to violence, broken relationships, and mental anguish. We see how gangs and cults create intense loyalty, and we’ve recently endured the tragic, deadly results of people attracted to and acting in support of a false conspiracy myth.
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In 2013, Becky and I invited people to go with us on a bike tour. We had some ideas about fundraising, but that was never really the point. We just wanted to get folks together to ride bikes. We hoped to create a community, a place for people to belong.
Nine years and tens of thousands of miles later, it’s still pretty simple. FREEDOM TOUR 2021 is a place where everybody knows your name.
We hope you’ll join us.