Redeeming the Man (Father's Day) - a podcast by Jacobs Well - Eau Claire, WI

What does it mean to be a man? We live in a day in which that is a difficult question to answer. Men are warned not to be a carrier of “Toxic Masculinity.” Much of the concern is born from real pain caused by abusive men.  It is unclear how men are supposed to respond to women in the day of #metoo, in which abusive behaviors that where once common and were accepted as the “boys will be boys” are being called out and condemned as wrong. 

Men feel unsure how to engage in an appropriate way, so some are simply retreating into a world of video games, sports and isolation.  There is also a great deal of confusion and change regarding gender roles and even the nature of gender. Is gender a social construct or something grounded in nature or some sort of mix of the two? Statistically men, and especially young men, are in a crisis. Wellbeing statistics indicate that an alarming number of men are not doing well emotionally, economically and educationally. The rate of suicide among men is growing rapidly and there seems to be a general sense of despair and low-grade Nihilism that is spreading especially among the young. A crisis of meaning in which many men feel there is no real purpose or meaning in life. Too many men are withdrawing from their responsibilities as fathers, husbands and contributors to society. The emphasis on denying masculinity has led to many men becoming more violent, emotionally withdrawn and isolated.

In this message we will argue that the problem is not masculinity but men who are immature. We will further argue that there are bad models for masculinity and positive models. The positive models can be used to help young men discover a way in which expressing their masculinity as a positive force for good. This will allow them to take greater responsibility for themselves and to meet their relational commitments in a healthy way. This will also allow men to be a force for positive change that works for the common good.

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