"A young man needs something epic. So much of the thrill-seeking we see in young men is a search for a deeper experience, one that is spiritual in nature, though they don't know how to put words to it. Notice that as a boy grows older, his longing for adventure typically grows more extreme...The heart of a young man hungers to be part of something epic."
I know my heart does. Right now I feel like I'm just existing. There are no real battles, no adventures, no real work, and my heart is so restless. I am so restless for something bigger and more exciting and challenging. Something epic. But is crucial to remember that the masculine journey is bigger than just the physical existence and experience. Life is deeply spiritual because it is from God. This journey, above all else, is a spiritual quest of initiation by God. A big part of the Cowboy stage is helping a boy begin to form his own faith, and build a strong, personal relationship with God.
He is searching for something epic and, "We need to help him find it in Christianity. We need to find it with God ourselves. So many times we miss this yearning in a young man's life by telling him to 'calm down,' when what we should be doing is hooking that yearning up to God. Now, 'going to church' does not meet this need. It can help to convey an epic story, if that is the Christianity being offered there, but in and of itself going to church is not the Epic Story, nor does it alone suffice to communicate that Story. The Spiritualty we offer a young man must be epic, or we'll lose him."
Ever paid attention to the audience of a church service? It's mostly made up of women. Wild at Heart talked about this, and how today's church doesn't speak to the hearts of men, or present Christianity in a way that relates to men. For me, church was never something epic or exciting, never something that spoke to my heart as a man, but I learned to see God as He is, and who He is captures my heart, and calls it into the epic story that is taking place. Church has largely missed the point, and that's why men are lacking. So what do we do to help our sons fall in love with God?
"It begins by first taking a look at the Christianity you are living. Is it epic? Or is it just good morals and a few prayers? Remember that in the Scriptures, whenever God gets hold of a man he takes him into an epic story, one full of danger and drama and meaning. Abraham, Joseph, David, Jesus' disciples, Saul. The stories we read there are not meant to simply impress us with another man's life. They are examples of what can happen when we abandon ourselves to God - which for any man means, among other things, that we stop hedging our best, playing it safe. Second, when it comes to raising young men, it is crucial that his father's life (and Christianity) be epic at heart... Sit down!? Take it slow!? That is the last thing the young man needs to hear, especially from his father. A father's spirituality will either capture or repulse the boy."
As the Beloved Son, a boy sees glimpses of the heart of God in the love and strength of his father. Now as a Cowboy, the young man begins to form his own relationship with God, learning who He is and beginning to see the calling God has placed on his life. And his father will shape much of that. Is the father living an active and authentic relationship with God that is transforming the world, or is it one of obligatory church attendance? Remember, the stories contained in the Bible are of ordinary men who trusted and followed God in extraordinary lives. What happened then can, and needs to, happen now. We were made to lives like the men of Scripture, and it is what the heart of the young man yearns for. To see God do amazing things, and to encounter Him personally.
"I believe you can tie that yearning for something epic to a young man's spirituality through adventure, especially when adventure is set into a spiritual context. Remembering that our context is masculine initiation under the Father's guidance will help a great deal."
This journey is about us becoming the men God created us to be, and it is crucial that every stage is focused on Him and what He is working to accomplish. And above all it must be focused on glorifying Him. Adventure is a man living to the fullest, no matter what it is, and as St. Irenaeus said, "The glory of God is man fully alive." And so as we adventure, as we live life, let us point to the epic work God is doing to mold us into His men.
"Iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another."
To God alone be the Glory!
Strength and Honor
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