A good friend turned me on to this word yesterday during our short phone call – cymbrogi.
A Celtic term used (pronounced koom-bro-gee) that’s been translated along the lines of “fellow countrymen,” “band of warriors,” and “companions of the heart.”
I love the term and the idea that we as a Church, and smaller communities of faith, should be Cymbrogi.
While searching for more information, I found one group online that uses the term in context of “sword brothers”.
In this context, a sword brother is one who has covenanted to stand with his comrades in battle for noble causes and who would gladly forfeit his life for his brother in arms (see John 15:13).
They also touch on a passage from the Pendragon Cycle, a Christian fiction of the Arthurian legend:
Arthur is no fit king. Uther’s bastard, Merlin’s pet, he is lowborn and a fool. He is wanton and petty and cruel.
A glutton and a drunkard, he lacks all civilized graces. In short, he is a sullen, ignorant brute.
All these things and more men say of Arthur. Let them.
When all the words are spoken and the arguments fall exhausted into silence, this single fact remains: we would follow Arthur to the very gates of Hell and beyond if he asked it. And that is the solitary truth.
Show me another who can claim such loyalty.
“Cymbrogi,” he calls us: companions of the heart, fellow-countrymen.
Cymbrogi! We are his strong arm, his shield and spear, his blade and helm. We are the blood in his veins, the hard sinew of his flesh, the bone beneath the skin. We are the breath in his lungs, the clear light in his eyes, and the song rising to his lips. We are the meat and drink at his board.
Cymbrogi! We are earth and sky to him. And Arthur is all these things to us – and more.
So my questions are – is your local community of faith cymbrogi? Do you live cymbrogi with others?
Would you gladly lay down your life for one another?
Do you stand in the gap for one another?
Are you companions of the heart?
Can someone create/build/design cymbrogi or does it simply develop on it’s own?
If so – how did you get there? If not – what would it take to get you there?
If you’re not in cymbrogi – are you pointing the finger and blame at others – or are you denying yourself for the sake of others (and for God)?
Lots of questions – would love to hear your thoughts and answers.
title image from www.cymbrogi.org
I have read this book series and have been caught up in the word “Cymbrogi”. I feel that I have this in my tribe of men. It took time to develop, but has been a blessing to many of us. We have this deep seeded bond that has grown almost without our knowing it. I think it took us getting out of the traditional church mindset, getting out of our comfort zone, and doing life together. More than that it has been opening up and being real with each other. IT has to be about getting away from that standard “I’m good”, “Everythings good” stock response and letting others that we have built a trust with into our lives. Likewise it is also having a sincere interest in going deep with other men around us. As our Pastor puts it, having ‘Swim Buddies” (Navy SEAL reference, I think) that we can trust and rely on.
Nice. Ryan I think you’re on to something.
As Anne Jackson (flowerdust.net) has suggested, we’ve lost our sense of sanctuary. We’re afraid to be too open or share things because the Church is no longer a safe place.
Our goal, within our local gathering is to build spaces of grace, intentional relationships, and share relevant truth.
Keep rocking and building safe places for men to gather and share life!
I have read this book series and have been caught up in the word “Cymbrogi”. I feel that I have this in my tribe of men. It took time to develop, but has been a blessing to many of us. We have this deep seeded bond that has grown almost without our knowing it. I think it took us getting out of the traditional church mindset, getting out of our comfort zone, and doing life together. More than that it has been opening up and being real with each other. IT has to be about getting away from that standard “I’m good”, “Everythings good” stock response and letting others that we have built a trust with into our lives. Likewise it is also having a sincere interest in going deep with other men around us. As our Pastor puts it, having ‘Swim Buddies” (Navy SEAL reference, I think) that we can trust and rely on.
Nice. Ryan I think you’re on to something.
As Anne Jackson (flowerdust.net) has suggested, we’ve lost our sense of sanctuary. We’re afraid to be too open or share things because the Church is no longer a safe place.
Our goal, within our local gathering is to build spaces of grace, intentional relationships, and share relevant truth.
Keep rocking and building safe places for men to gather and share life!