"How would telling people to be nice to one another get a man crucified? What government would execute *Jamie Oliver or Mr Tumble!" Philip Yancey (my examples - Yancey used American ones)
"Safe? Who said anything about safe? ' Course he isn't safe. But he's good." C S Lewis
At last the book is starting to question how and why our WILD nature as men relates to God and our faith. For me my aim is that everything is spiritual, without distinction - so 'being a man' cannot NOT be related to God in some way - and if it doesn't reflect him, bring me nearer to him or help him achieve the Kingdom on earth, then it becomes irrelevent... So church can be very unhelpful for men with any of these things - if the music is soft, the preaches diplomatic; the vision passionless, the community 'nice' at best and the Jesus offered is listless; what have men got to fight for? What is going to drive us out of our comfort zones? What have we got to live for - we're encouraged to be 'nice' basically...
In my eyes the chruch is largely effeminate. Not feminine - as we are maybe going to explore what God designed 'feminine' to be - but effeminate - weak, drippy and impotent. The image of Jesus is ALWAYS one of soft flowing hair, concession in his face and a mincing passionless gait. I don't believe that is a truely biblical picture of who he was - but what it does is quietly require that of all of us, every sunday, month in month out. Then we wonder why we're not going anywhere and not relevent to the rest of the world.
Eldredge says it better of women, but I think this also reflects:
"The world kills a woman's heart when it tells her to be tough, effiecient and independent, Sdaly Christianity has missed her heart as well. Walk in to most churches in America , have a look around, and ask yourself this question: What is a Christian woman? Again, don't listen to what is said, look at what you find there. There is no doubt about it. You'd have to admit a Christian woman is... tired. All we've offered the feminine soul is pressure to "be a good servant." No one is fighting for her heart; there is no grand adventure to be swept up in, and every woman doubts very much that she has any beauty to unveil."
I am an Ipswich Town FC fan. Our fortunes have been mixed recently under the management of player legend Roy Keane - who although is not yet proven as a manager - certainly was a warrior of a player. He said this in the news yesterday:
"It's hard to switch off. And the day I go home and relax and sleep well, after getting beaten, is the day that I get out of the game. Defeats are supposed to hurt you, when you've let supporters down." Roy Keane
Our aim as men should include seeking to capture the essence of God's masculinity - that even our defeats can teach us and help us become stronger - after all he uses 'all things to work together for the good of those who love him" but at heart he is figting for us - so we should find our way of fighting for him.
The church desperately needs MEN. And WOMEN.
Not pansies and wallflowers.
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