One Percenter Brotherhood

When God tapped Abraham on the shoulder and told him he wanted to Covenant with him, Abraham understood exactly the ramifications of what was being offered to him.

In ancient, Eastern cultures, the practice of two or more families or clans binding themselves together in Covenant was not only customary, but necessary for survival. The purpose of covenanting wasn’t for finding commonalities that was important; it was the differences that mattered most.

For instance, you might have a clan that was skilled in farming rich, lush fields of food, but if they were raided just after harvest, their talent for food production didn’t matter; they still starved. Also, the same would be true for a family that was greatly skilled in warfare, but couldn’t grow food. However, the combination of the two clans would make a good foundation for covenanting.

You can also imagine when bringing two or more separate clans together, with different cultures, the act of blending might need some specific ground rules. Since everyone saw things from a different cultural perspective in the beginning, everyone had to be willing to give up parts of their past habits, likes and dislikes. In order to embrace the benefits of the new unit that was necessary for survival, whether they wanted to or not, whether it was convenient or not, when a decision had to be made, the terms of the Covenant was the only thing to be considered. A person’s feelings; good or bad had no place in any decisions, once the Agreement was established.

Actually the Hebrew word for this kind of Covenant is Checed (pronounced ha-seed). It refers to the kind of mercy, and loving-kindness that can’t be earned. This kind of covenant covers you because you entered into it through covenant agreement or you were born into it. It’s the kind of loving kindness a mother gives her infant, just because he came from her womb.

The legal term is ‘to remember’. Unlike the kind of remembering you do when you say “Oh yes, I remember that person.” It means “I constantly hold you in the forefront of my mind. Invariably and without fail, I’m looking for ways to pleasantly surprise you and shower you with the good things that will make your life better.” It means “Whatever I own, you own and if you need it, and I don’t have it, I’ll get it for you.” It signifies “All that I am, my name, my rank, my power, is now yours too.”

Most people don’t understand the fact that real love is not an emotion; it’s a commitment. Love is a decision. It’s an action – a verb. Love is something you DO whether your feelings want to or not. Something as important as love can’t be ruled by fickle feelings. Feelings can sway from one end of the spectrum to the other with nothing but a phone call. Love is honoring a commitment no matter what feelings are doing to me at that moment. Love, honor, and commitment are intertwined like the “triple-braided cord” that is mentioned in Ecclesiastes 4:12 tells us it “is not easily broken.”

When clans would join together in covenant, there were bound to be people that just didn’t have good chemistry or didn’t care for one another. However, they understood their feelings had no place to be considered when covenant was called on. Once it was in force, the two clans would be one and everyone involved would die before breaking any terms of the Covenant; that would be unthinkable. It didn’t matter what one person thought of another, breaching the Covenant wasn’t an option. Instead of someone looking for a loophole or a way out of the Covenant, everyone involved would constantly look for ways to fulfill the treaty terms; it was the only honorable thing to do. It was never thought of from the perspective of ‘what’s in it for me’ it was always approached from the point of, ‘what can I contribute to strengthen this union or relationship?’ Therefore, it took many months to hammer out the exact terms of the Covenant; after all, in ancient eastern cultures, these terms would have to be honored for the next eight generations.

Once the terms were agreed upon by clan leaders, a great ceremony would take place for all to witness and participate in. The ceremony was always sealed by blood; followed by a meal, which everyone from the youngest to the oldest would take part in.

A lot of blood! There was always a lot of blood associated with the cutting of a covenant. The emphasis was great when it came to the shedding of blood. All families, from the youngest to the oldest must know the gravity of this covenant.

Once the Covenant ceremony took place, there

would be no place for jealousies or feelings of insecurities. Personal feelings would have to be put aside because only Covenant terms would matter. Each member of both clans would be ready to die and allow their bodies to feed the other, rather than to let a Covenant brother starve.

When God agreed to covenant with Abraham, the cutting of the covenant was to be in Abraham’s reproductive organ because this was a covenant that would be passed on from generation to generation, never ending. Covenants demanded blood and God would also have to bare a covenant cut. For now, however, the blood would have to come from the bulls, goats and doves. Later, God would send his own sacrificial lamb, Jesus; the Lamb of God. Jesus would bare the cut of the covenant and it would be his blood that would seal the covenant for ALL mankind.

This covenant ceremony would be something that would be recalled and retold around campfires for generations to come. All these thoughts and the ramification of what the two clans shaped would determine the quality of existence.

The covenant meal had to supply enough meat for everyone from both families to eat. Everyone had to take a part of the animal inside of him or her. By doing this, each one was saying, part of the animal is in you and part is in me, but when we unite together, we make up a whole animal. Separated, we are fragments, together, we are whole.

The setting would usually occur in a valley, fringed on each side by a hill, so everyone could sit on a hill and witness the ceremony.

For instance, if you had the Aims clan and the Burg clan ready to cut covenant, the Aims clan would sit on one hillside, and the Burg clan would sit on the other hillside. Both families needed to observe the ritual.

A ditch would be dug down the middle of the valley, running the length of the valley where the two heads of the clans would be walking. Just as we see God commanding Abraham in the 15th chapter of Genesis, the animals would be slaughtered, then cut in half, right down the middle. Half of the carcass would be placed on the Aims’ family side. Then the other half would be placed where the Burg family was sitting.

You’ve got to realize the amount of blood this would produce with as many animals as were being slaughtered here. The blood would run down into the ditch that had been dug, running down the middle between the carcass halves.

Anyone that has ever gone hunting and field dressed an animal might better understand; there’s just something about blood, that when you get it on your skin, you can hardly wait to get it off.

Picture the things that were actually taking place on Covenant Day. The last of the animals were being slaughtered and people were taking their seats on the hillsides of their respective families. Clusters of smaller family units were huddling together as parents took great care to instruct their children as to the gravity of this moment. Fathers were making sure their sons & daughters would be able to see, once the ceremony began. This pensive epoch within the boundaries of the entire clan should ruminate in their children’s remembrance forever. They must be equipped with the ability to describe every minute detail of this day’s event to their children’s children. In future generation gatherings, they must be able to soliloquize around the cooking fires, the solemn oaths that were sworn this day. Finally, after stirring around for just the right places, a reverential hush must have fallen; tranquilizing the throng.

When the ceremony began, the head of the Aims family would stand in the valley at one end of the ditch, facing the head of the Burg family, standing at the other end of the ditch. They would begin walking toward one another, down the ditch, through the river of blood.

Bending down, each man would unlace his shoes and step out of them. This walk through blood must be done in bare feet. The walk commenced. Each man clad in his clan’s colors, slowly paced toward one another while drums beat to the tempo of each step. Flutes delicately played together while singers softly hummed melodiously in the background.

Blood and dirt streamed up between each mans toes, covering his foot, flowing to his ankle. He understood the symbolism of this walk. Each man was saying, “Just as I walk through this valley of death with you today, I swear to walk through death for you if need be. If you are starving, I give my body in death to feed you, just as these animals feed us today. My oath is that you will not perish.”

As both men met in the middle, an enormous cry of victory welled up among all the people. Hearts were pounding in electrifying excitement while everyone that had breath was praising their leader for standing in their place in this walk of blood.

Just as the loud cry was almost in remission, each leader would grasp his weapon. In set form, they unsheathed and exchanged weapons with firm grips and convincing glare into each other’s eyes. This act was saying, “I give you my strength. I will watch your back. I will protect your property because your property is now my property. I will protect your people, because your people are now my clan. I will fight for you and with you.”

With this, both clans began jumping in the air, making a show, shouting and waiving their arms so wildly you would think their sockets would dislocate.

Then both men took off their coats of clan colors and gave them to each other as another enormous roar of triumph erupted in the crowd of people. Everything the man was, everything the clan was, hung on that coat of colors. Just as a military man’s rank, branch of service and feats of valor hangs on the coat of his uniform, the same was true with the clan’s colors. By exchanging colors, each clan was saying “Everything we are, we give to you. Everything we have we give to you. Any honor or respect due our colors is now due you.”

Grown men were weeping in agreement. Little children gazed in amazement as they witnessed tears of joy flood from their parent’s eyes. What wonderment they were beholding. These stories would truly be passed on to their children and grandchildren.

After all exchanges were made, it was time to make the covenant cut. Animal blood could not finish this covenant. Each of the two clan elders standing ankle deep in blood must himself bleed today. As each man drew his knife that had been specially sharpened for this occasion another great hush fell on both clans. Stillness wrapped itself around the throng of people that was so awesome, even small babies sensed the reverence and refrained from sound.

Opening the left hand while grasping the knife in the right hand, each clan leader started making an incision beginning at his index finger, moving across his palm and ending at his wrist. The entire palm of his hand was sliced open. Then both men raised their hands to all the people on the hillsides as a witness to the blood as it flowed down their arms, past their elbows and into their armpits. The victory cries exploded once again and then the clan leaders clasped their hands together and bound them to each other with a sash, mingling their blood signifying, “I am now blood of your blood. Your blood has flowed into my veins. We are no longer two families, but one family.”

Just as the proclamations of joy and gladness were being shouted the very loudest; The Aims clan leader turned to look at the Burg clan leader and began spewing all the profanities that anyone had ever uttered. They were cursing with every evil curse imagined. Then the Burg clan leader returned the profanities and curses. This was an unpleasant part of the Covenant, but a necessary one. Each clan was declaring these curses on anyone that even thinks of braking or hindering the laws of this Covenant.

After the cursings, each man poured out words of love, vows of blessing and commitment to each other. Swearing to honor and defend each article in this holy covenant.

Once all the terms of these ancient covenants had been read, witnessed and the cut was complete, everyone within sound understood the binding together of families. This was a bond much stronger than a marriage contract or a business contract. There was no way anyone would break this Covenant and live. The Aims family and the Burg family would now be the Aimsburg family.

This type of ancient eastern covenant was well understood by Abraham when God offered to covenant with him. Of course, Abraham didn’t hesitate. Binding the God of the universe in a covenant like that, only a fool would turn that down. And of course, this is the same covenant Jesus offers us at the foot of the cross.

When Jesus met with his disciples for Passover meal, just before his crucifixion, he took the cup of wine and said, “This is my blood.” Then he took the bread and said, “This is my body. After everyone had eaten and drank the sacraments, Jesus told us to always remember what he did to put our Covenant into force.

Years ago, a magazine issued a statement that 99% of all motorcycle riders were regular law abiding citizens and only about 1% of motorcyclists were outlaw in their culture. This one-percent designation became a badge of pride and a symbol of non-conformity to the outlaw clubs. However, the one-percent or outlaw label has taken an additional meaning since that time.

As outlaws who roamed the American West in the 1800’s – they choose to live by their own laws. This lifestyle does what is right in their eyes and thereby is a law unto themselves (a Nation unto themselves). Even Texas law enforcement refers to the Bandido’s Motorcycle Club as “The Bandido Nation”. An expansion of the “1%” or “Outlaw” concept is that outlaw club members see themselves as the one percent of society that doesn’t fit in and doesn’t want to fit in. They are untrusting of the ‘citizen’ lifestyle because everyone is only out for themselves but the biker covenant guarantees that their brothers will always be there for him, to back him up in whatever threatens him or his family.

The 1%er Brotherhood

When a man desires membership into a 1% club, he must first know someone in the club well enough for that person to recommend or “sponsor” him. After the recommendation is made, the entire membership will vote on whether to consider this man. If there is one descending vote, the man is not considered. Every brother’s vote counts the same, whether he’s been a member 20 years or 2 weeks.

If all vote to consider the man, he is then given the bottom rocker of a 3-piece patch and is called a “Prospect”. In Canada, they’re referred to as a “Striker”.

The sponsor is now responsible for all the actions of the Prospect and manages his training. There are many hours of heart to heart talks, toe to toe confrontations and testing. If a Prospect does anything that deserves disciplinary action, the sponsor can suffer the same consequence as the Prospect. Therefore, a sponsor is very serious in training and watching his new Prospect.

A Prospect must do anything a full patch-holder asks him to do. These tasks can range anywhere from chump duties like riding your motorcycle to Florida to buy beer (and you’d better bring the receipt to prove you really made your purchase in Florida), to dangerous or radical assignments. It is not the Prospect’s duty to reason why or question anything that is asked. His task is only to prove that there is nothing the brotherhood can’t count on him for. The brotherhood must believe this man would throw himself in front of a bullet, to keep another patch-holder safe. It doesn’t even matter whether he particularly likes the patch-holder. He’s not protecting the man; he’s protecting the patch and what it represents. He mustn’t let the patch fall to the ground. Actually, he doesn’t wear the patch. . . The patch wears him.

One time, an outlaw patch-holder and his Ol Lady was visiting in my living room when my 13 year old Step-Son asked the patch-holder “What does a patch like that cost?”

I noticed the patch-holder was searching for a way to quickly explain so I spoke up and told Justice, “Your life, Justice. . . . The patch costs your life.”

The patch-holder turned and looked at me in reply saying, “Yea, you’re right, it does.” Then he so graciously explained to Justice how he could buy a T-shirt that says, “Support your local ____ Club” or a ball cap with a “Support your local _____ Club”.

“You can’t wear the cap backward, though”, said the biker’s Ol Lady. “It would be considered disrespectful.”

In the Abrahamic Covenant, God revealed himself to Abraham as El Shadday. I know the King James Bible translates this to God Almighty but that is just a quotidian way to translate this powerful name. Some translations say the all sufficient one.

Its actual root meaning is the many breasted one. You know, like a female animal that has many babies, she must have many nipples to suckle her all her young.

Have you ever watched a litter of puppies, how contented they are as long as their source of life is available to them? Think about it. Here you have a defenseless, blind infant pup whose primary instinct is to suckle to stay alive. If another pup in the litter, maybe a bigger pup, muzzles his way in and takes over the nipple, the smaller pup panics and begins to squall. For all he knows, that may be the only nipple in existence. He is sure the only thing between him and death is that nipple. In his survival instinct kicks in and tells him that he’s surely done for. He cries and travails until he finds another nipple.

God was saying to Abraham, I am the God of endless supply. I am your life source; suck the life out of me! If one door closes, I will open another. If one source of supply dries up, I happen to have many more. Actually the Hebrew goes even farther and says, “If I don’t have it, I’ll create it for you.”

During those months of Prospecting for a 1%er club, the Prospect is learning this kind of supply. He is learning ‘Everything I have will belong to the Club and everything the Club has will belong to me. If the club doesn’t have it, they’ll get it some how. If it’s not readily available, one of my Brothers will obtain it for me’. The only limitations here are human limitations.

His sponsor is also showing him by example that he will laugh when he laughs, and cry when he cries. If Prospect messes up and does something he should have known better than to do, the sponsor will even suffer being disciplined with the same discipline right beside the Prospect. Such closeness and love becomes part of their DNA.

This isn't just a sorority with close camaraderie. Many times I see club brothers greet each other with a full mouth kiss in the middle of a busy intersection. They’re truly saying, ‘I give you my life - - you can take the life out of me!”

I have been in Intensive Care wards in the middle of the night when club brothers sat on the floor, all up and down the hallways, keeping vigil over a fallen brother dangling between life and death. During those times, the club brothers immediately take over household financial responsibilities to make sure wife, children and possessions are not neglected.

I’ve seen huge, hairy men weep unashamedly with hearts breaking, as they travail over their brother in distress.

After a Prospect has served a satisfactory time of proving (this time varies, depending on the past of the Prospect, as well as how much he accomplishes for the club during his trial period), another vote is taken for his full patch. Again, this must be a 100% asscenting vote.

The new member receives the other two pieces of his patch. The completed patch sewn on his sleeveless vest (usually denim or leather) is now his ‘colors’. It’s worn with pride like a dedicated soldier proudly raising his flag over conquered territory. Different geographical areas use different terminologies. Some areas call the vest with complete patch colors, cuts or rags and so on.

One club has another patch sewn on the front of the colors that states “These Colors Don’t Run”. Also, on that same club vest is a most profound patch which has an embroidered declaration sewn just above the heart that decrees; “Expect No Mercy”. The first time I saw this, I naturally saw it through citizen eyes. I immediately thought he was saying, “Don’t mess with me because I won’t show you any mercy”. But on the contrary, I found out this patch is there for the benefit of the wearer. It is there to remind him each time he puts on his colors that no one has ever shown him any mercy and not to expect any mercy today. To always keep his guarding wall around his actions, his words and his emotions and to never let anyone other that his brothers get close to him.

So the awarding of the full patch is saying any power that we have as a whole, you now have. Any good times we have are your good times. It also says, anything you were as a single unit, you are no longer. You will never be alone again. You will never be unloved or unaccepted again. You will never be powerless again.

This original set of colors is called just that, his ‘originals’. Your originals must never be laundered or cleaned. Any soil only reflects the many miles of hard road, hard parties and hard fighting it has seen. It shows the true sign of a veteran.

A great celebration commences to initiate the new patch-holder. Some of these celebrations last several days. As part of the ceremony, some clubs even soil the new patch for their new brother, so as not to have him stand out as the new guy when riding in a pack or attending an event.

One time, when attending a Biker wedding, some Christian Motorcycle Ministries were there. Among the Christians was a new member of a Christian Motorcycle Ministry. He had not been around real outlaws very much but had purchased his Harley and joined a Christian Motorcycle Ministry. He even sported some fresh tattoos; so as to look the part. One of the outlaw patch-holders walked up behind him to pat him on the back. This gesture was simply to show appreciation for helping out with some of the wedding details. Walking in a swift swagger, in one swift movement, the outlaw biker bent over and scooped up a hand full of driveway dirt and gravel. With a boisterous patting and rubbing motion, he brushed the soil onto the shiny, clean, new patch on the Christian’s back.

Red-faced from frustration, the Christian abruptly spun around and expressed his disapproval. The outlaw responded in shock (and disappointment) as he explained he was merely helping him polish away the new boy look. The Christian piously retorted that he would earn any soil himself. He didn’t realize the outlaw was treating him with respect and considered his rejoinder as self-adulation. It takes many years for a citizen (non-biker) to understand this clannish community’s many differences.

I guess the saddest part of all this is that this is supposed to be the covenant Jesus brought to the Church. After all, that’s why we call each other brother and sister, isn’t it? Isn’t this what Jesus was teaching when he said we’re all part of one body, each one of us different but together we make a whole?

Unfortunately, when one of our brothers falls, many of us ostracize him instead of trying to restore him. The outlaw code says “My brother may not always be right, but he’s always my brother”. Now don’t get me wrong, I didn’t say to enable a brother to keep falling or live in his fallen state, I said, to restore him. That takes a great amount of time, love and patience. Of course, the final decision is his to make and scripture provides us with instruction when someone refuses to submit to loving correction and restoration.

Even the outlaw culture has these same duties, to instruct members that need restoration or correction. In the Christian realm, we call ministers that do this sort of thing a Bishop or Presbyter. The outlaws call a person in this office an Enforcer. In some cases, if there is strife in a certain chapter of the club, they will send two Enforcers, usually someone with much tenure in the club to have diplomatic dialogue and then decree a plan of action to end the strife. If the troubled members refuse the counsel and refuse to end the disagreement, then the next Enforcer comes in and settles the conflict physically. One way or another, the strife will end. They don’t back bite and talk about one another. It’s just not tolerated.

The phrase ‘I’ll watch your back’ or ‘I cover you’ reaches farther than just covering your brother’s back in a fistfight or gun fight. It also means making sure no one talks badly about you; slanders you or besmirches your name.

As you can see, the outlaw covenant is not without problem. On the contrary, its members are human, and we live in a fallen world. However, I greatly admire the fact that outlaw club members will never talk badly about another brother, especially to an outsider. In other words, they will never air family dirty laundry outside the family. Even within the brotherhood, there are channels to go through if two brothers have a grievance with one another.

Actually, I see the same procedure spelled out in the Bible when two Christians fuss with one another. We aren’t supposed to go to people who aren’t involved and air our problems by talking behind each other’s backs. We’re to go to that brother and try to talk it out. If that brother refuses to receive reconciliation, then we’re supposed to return with a witness so both you and the witness can try to get everything ironed out. If an agreement can’t be reached at this point, we’re supposed to bring the situation before the Elders of the church. The book of Proverbs in the Bible tells us ‘there’s safety in the council of many’.

Outlaws are instructed to talk out their differences. If that doesn’t work, sometimes they are instructed to fight it out. If that fails, sometimes both patch-holders will lose membership and be considered as dead to the rest of the brotherhood. Like I said - - no strife is allowed!

As I said in the beginning, some of these 'standards' vary a little from club to club and region to region but when you peel back terminology, it's pretty much the same heart-of-the-matter in the end.