Posted on: 26th March 2025

As a keen sports fan, when I see someone wearing a top with a badge or emblem on it, it’s very hard for me to look away without working out whose badge they are wearing (perhaps other sports fans can relate). The badge tells me if you are friend or foe; someone with me, or against me. It indicates whether we can have a pleasant interaction, or if I need to brace myself for a challenge.  

If only it were that simple! 

In Genesis 37, Joseph’s tunic causes quite a stir amongst his brothers, because it is a symbol of their father’s favour. Commentators suggest that Joseph was favoured because of his faithfulness, something he continues to display in response to all of the adversity he experiences in the following chapters. 

My question to you this week is – without worldly symbols of God’s favour, do you still respond with faithfulness? Without any badge, emblem, Christian context, etc., how do people know there is something faithful, peaceful, and set apart about you that piques their curiosity about walking with Jesus. 

Galatians 5:22-23 describes the fruits of the Spirit as “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control”, and it’s fascinating to me that in Joseph’s story, when his brothers see the symbol of their father’s favour, they don’t respond with reflection on how they might be more faithful, but with hatred. Despite being part of the same family, they don’t identify with Joseph’s “badge” at all. In stark contrast, once Joseph is taken to Egypt, he meets a number of people who notice there is something really special about him and want him to be a part of their lives. 

At Leeds Sanctuary, we aim to be clear that our faith is our motivation for all of the activities that we offer, though most of them are not faith-related. We hope that in sharing the fruits of the Spirit, we can create sanctuary spaces where community is built, power is collective, and the message that “you matter” in constant. If you’d like to know more about us, please visit our website: www.leedssanctuary.org.uk .