Category: Wildman Journey (Page 43 of 85)

Here is a quote from New Testament scholar, N. T. Wright on transgenderism.  “The confusion about gender identity is a modern, and now internet-fuelled, form of the ancient philosophy of Gnosticism.  The Gnostic, one who ‘knows’, has discovered the secret of ‘who I really am’, behind the deceptive outward appearance (in Rifkind’s apt phase, the ‘ungainly, boring, fleshy one”).  This involves denying the goodness, or even the ultimate reality, of the natural world.  Nature, however, tends to strike back, with the likely victims in this case being vulnerable and impressionable youngsters who, as confused adults, will pay the price for their elders’ fashionable fantasies.”

When I first read this I immediately thought of fathers and their children.  The cry of my heart for fathers is not give into the cultural hysteria regarding acceptance of transgender movement.  Sons and daughters are a precious gift given to father by a loving heavenly Father.  “Children are a gift from the Lord, they are a reward from him.  Children born to a young man are like arrows in a warrior’s quiver.  How joyful is the man whose quiver is full of them” (Ps 127:3-4).  When our kids were growing up, my wife and I would refer to them as “prescription babies.”  In those days a popular phrase among Christian parents was, “God doesn’t make any junk.”

Men, it is vital for you to model, by your disposition, a heavenly Father who has given  you specially chosen children to be  in your quiver.  They are your most important stewardship.  God’s intention is for you to shape their lives so they might live in the freedom and liberty of their God given gender.  You and your wife model for your children how God intends man and woman are to live on this earth. So in my humble opinion, it is extremely vital that you as a father live freely, comfortably and without apology in your God give masculine soul. You symbolize masculinity.  Your children will absorb a sense of the masculine from you.

Granted this is not an easy task in our day.  But if your sons and daughter are to weather the chaos of the gender wars, you can have a vital impact on their lives by simply modeling a Dad who is affirmed in his masculine soul, while honoring his wife as his feminine compliment.  Judy and I made it clear to our three children that our love for one another came before our love for our children.  So how I treated the mother of my children was vital.  They know they were the result of our union in marriage.  They in turn were our most precious gifts from God.  As parents, we visualized how God had perfectly arranged the order of our family with three children male, female and male in just the right order.

Do not underestimate the symbolism of your role as Father in family life.  Leading family devotions  at the family meal is a good example.  We read in Exodus 23:25-6, “Worship the Lord your God, and his blessing will be on your food and water.  I will take away sickness from among you….and I will give you a full life span.”  Leanne Payne uses this passage to point out the following, “The modern fast track we are on has nearly eliminated ceremony and ritual at table.  Think, if you will, of the ceremony or ritual of the blessing that brings down the transcendent, hallowing the ordinary, at table.” Use meal time to express the masculine voice speaking into souls of your children.

Men, we are coming into turbulent waters in the coming days due to the “alt-right” and “alt-left” movements in our country, venting their deep anger concerning the direction of our nation.  I plead with you not to be influenced by the inflamed rhetoric, both by the participants and the media’s coverage.  We read in Isaiah 8:12 -13, “Do not call conspiracy everything that these people call conspiracy; do not fear what they fear, and do not dread it.  The Lord Almighty is the one you are to regard as holy, he is the one you are to fear, he is the one you to dread.”  Another translation says, “People are saying that others make plans against them, but you should not believe them.”

The footnote in the NIV states that verses 11-13 express two different understandings of history: “1 ) Give God the central place that only the Holy One must have, or 2) Explain historical events as the result of human conspiracy, with the constant dread of the unknown that this view engenders.”  As Jesus talks about the end of the age in Mark 13, he exhorts us  to “watch out,” “being on guard,” or be “alert” seven times.  Don’t allow conspiracy talk shape your worldview.  Here are a few suggestions to help keep you vigilant.

First and foremost, keep your focus on Jesus as Lord.  Remember that one day, “at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Phil. 2:10-11).  Focusing means that you practice the presence of Jesus. Ps. 27:3 says it best. “My heart says of you, ‘Seek his face!’  Your face, Lord, I will seek.”   Revelations 22:13 reminds us, “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.”  Jesus is Lord of history, period.  So be mindful of Jesus as you maneuver through the minefields of  conspiracy discussions.

Secondly,  submit to the reign of Jesus’ kingdom in the earth. “For God in all his fullness was pleased to live in Christ, and through him God reconciled everything to himself.  He made peace with everything in heaven and earth by mean of Christ’s blood on the cross” (Col. 1: 19-20). The alternative is the kingdom of darkness.  You will be influenced by one or the other.

Thirdly, live in repentance and humility.  Be warned – as a follower of Jesus in his kingdom reign, you will be hated.  Matthew, Mark and Luke in describing the end times, all warn about being hated.  “All men will hate you because of me, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved” (Mark 13:13). Purpose to live humbly as a servant of Jesus, punctuated by a readiness to repent of your failures. ‘Stay alert. This is hazardous work I’m assigning you.  You’re going to be like sheep running through a wolf pack, so don’t call attention to yourselves.  Be cunning as a snake, inoffensive as a dove” Matt. 10:16 – Message).

Fourthly, cry out for God to have mercy.  The coming relational chaos, in my opinion, is a sign of God’s judgment.  Jesus warned this would happen. “At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people” (Matt. 24:10).  As a result there will be “the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold” (Matt 24:12).  That is a description of broken relationships.  In the midst of such confusion, we should be crying out for God to have mercy.  Habakkuk prayed, “in wrath remember mercy” (Hab. 3:2)

Church historian Robert Louis Wilken has made this  pertinent observation regarding  the church in America.  “Nothing is more needful today than the survival of Christian culture, because in recent generations this culture has become dangerously thin.  At this moment in the church’s history in this country it is less urgent to convince the alternative culture in which we live of the truth of Christ than it is for the Church to tell itself its own story and to nurture its own life, the culture of the city of God, the Christian republic.  This is not going to happen without a rebirth of moral and spiritual discipline and a resolute effort on the part of Christians to comprehend and to defend the remnants of Christian culture.”

The more I  study the prophets, and observe what is happening in our culture, I sense  we have not  lost the cultural war.  What is at stake is the survival of Christian culture.  I agree with Rod Dreher, when he writes in his book, “The Benedict Option” that we need to build alternate communities, allowing  for Christian formation of a new kind of Christian, who will become a different kind of citizen.  “The Benedict Option…begins with recognition that Western society is post-Christian and that absent a miracle, there is no hope of reversing this condition in the foreseeable future…..trying to reclaim a lost influence will be a waste of energy and time…”  We need Christian communities to “establish or reestablish common practices and common institutions that can reverse the isolation and fragmentation of contemporary society.”

Dreher warns us, “……Christianity is no longer at the center of our cultural definition and self-understanding, and its hold on the collective imagination is waning.”  In addition, “there are no social forces now present capable of stopping the cultural momentum toward full secularization…..it is more important for us to build up the internal resilience within our families, churches and institutions, that will allow us to endure post-Christian America with faith intact. ”  Could Dreher be right in saying, “The lack of awareness of our predicament and its nature is the chief obstacle among Christians to preparing for it.  Many Christians cannot fathom the magnitude of the change now upon us.”

I have followed Dreher for some time.  He might sound alarmist to some.  But I believe he is like a watchman on the walls, warning us of what is coming.  As Grandparents, Judy and I, pray constantly and fervently for our eight grandchildren and their families.  Passing on a strong Christian culture, that models godly living among men and women is going to be more difficult. Men, I want you to know that you have a friend, mentor and encourager in your calling to follow Jesus in our day, along with your responsibility of raising your children.

So what is a wild man to do?  Here are five suggestions.  First, place yourself under the Lordship of Jesus and the reign of his kingdom.  Jesus taught us prayer that his kingdom would come and his will would be done on earth as it is in heaven.  I pray that daily.  2) Humbly accept that mantle of high priest in your family.  Thirdly, for the sake of our family evaluate your commitment to the body of Christ. You need others to help model a healthy Christian culture.  Fourthly, find a group of husbands and fathers who are committed to the kingdom presence in your community.  Fifthly, always remember the promise of Romans 5:20, “But where sin increased, grace increased all the more.”  Continually cry out for God to be merciful to you and your family.

I often read N.T. Wright’s translation of the New Testament.  I was struck, recently with his use of the word “calculate” instead of “credited” (NIV) or “counted” (ESV & NAS), when declaring a person being right in God’s sight.  “Now when someone ‘works,’ the ‘reward’ they get is not calculated on the basis of generosity, but on the basis of what they are owed.  But if someone doesn’t ‘work,’ but simply believes in the one who declares the ungodly to be in the right, that person’s faith is calculated in their favor, putting them in the right.” (Rom. 4:4-5)  The NLT is very blunt saying, “When people work, their wages are not a gift, but something they have earned. But people are counted as righteous, not because of their work, but because of their faith in God who forgives sinners” (Rom. 4:4-5 ).

The Message declares, “…if you see that the job is too big for you that it’s something only God can do, and you trust him to do it……well, that trusting him to do it is what gets you right with God, by God.  Sheer gift” (vs 3-4 – The Message).  Calculate comes from the Latin word for count.  To calculate is to count on something  having a particular effect.  In this case, its a matter of a right relationship with God.   Men, do you find yourself  managing our spiritual life, calculating whether or not belief and effort would make you more acceptable  to God. I learned years ago from John and Paula Sandford that this is getting caught up in “performance orientation.”  I can still get caught in this trap.

In applying our natural abilities and spiritual gifting, we can easily calculate how well we think we are doing based on our compulsion. It just comes naturally.  What would it be for you?   Mine is that of a “people pleaser.” I can easily become compulsive in caring for others.  Even worse, it is all about me and my performance.  This only reinforces my ego strength.  I  simply work harder at being a  caring individual.  The worse I feel  spiritually the more I can  get on the tread mill of people pleasing.  But it is  never enough.  Even worse, I will perform spiritually to please God.  The Lord, of course, is not impressed with my efforts.  How would you identify the manner you try to please God with your performance?

I have reformed a lot of my compulsive spiritual behavior.  But my wife will tell you, that I can still get on the tread mill of performance orientation.  So what has helped in the lessening of my compulsion.  First, is the realization that my walk with God is based not on a contract (how I perform) but rather on receiving a gift (all grace).  Operating with a contrast, I have to work to earn favor with God.  I’ve had to learn to simply trust in God accepting me as a sinful man.  I marvel at the generosity of God. It is “sheer gift.”

Secondly, the  gift can only be received when in silent before God I hear that I are his beloved.  Beyond your thoughts, perceptions, and feelings I am loved.  I gratefully declare that I am “a beloved sinner.”  Thirdly,  learing to  live freely in the open space of God’s love for me. Here I cry out daily for God to be merciful to me, his beloved sinner.  What matters is my intentions.  If I desire to grow in Christlikeness, God’s mercy will be sufficient in rescuing me when I get  on the tread mill of performance.

Recently, David Brooks wrote an editorial in the New York Times entitled, “How to leave a mark on people.”  “Some organizations are thick, and some are thin,” Brooks explains.  “Some leave a mark on you, and some you pass through with scarcely a memory…a thick institution becomes part of a person’s identity and engages the whole person – head, hands, heart and soul.”  According to Brooks, thick organizations often share a physical location, where people meet regularly, face to face.  Thick institutions often have and practice shared rituals – such as fasting or reciting a song or a theme.  “Thin institutions,” observes Brooks, “tend to see themselves horizontally.  People are members for mutual benefit.  Thick organizations often see themselves on a vertical axis.  People are members so they can collectively serve the same higher good.”

The thick –  thin analogy helps in defining a  healthy spirituality climate for men.  With the  thinning of church life in a post-Christian culture, men need and are looking for a thick community  A very good example of a thin community  is the suggestion recently by Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg of the possibility of Facebook providing  community and a sense of belonging, filling the gap left by falling church membership.  Connecting over the internet will never produce the thickness needed for community.  There is no sense of God’s presence or the practice of interpersonal relationships.

When I thought of the thickness of  spirituality I thought of  C. S Lewis’s  quote regarding the presence of God. “The Presence of God is the most real thing we ever encounter.  If we are to have an appropriate image of God’s presence, we should envision God’s presence as something heavier than matter.”  It is what Leanne Payne calls the “unseen real.” We can’t see or feel  the Presence of God, not because it’s unreal or not there.  We can’t see it because the reality of God would blind us.  But this reality, the presence of God  lives within us. God’s Spirit living  within and among us makes for a thick community.

This was Paul’s prayer for us.  “I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith” (Eph. 3:16-17).  Rick Richardson gives testimony to this reality in his life. “When I began to take to heart Lewis’s  insights, my soul expanded….My soul came alive….My mind had new ways to imagine the substance and beauty of the heaviness of the Spirit of God…..God’s spirit is more real than flesh and blood.”  He goes on to say, “I feel more sound, more right, more solid at the center of my being.”  Now that is a dose of thick spirituality.

Here are a few things that would make for a thick community of men.  First and foremost, would be the Lordship of Jesus Christ.  Men would be expected to surrender daily to the Lord Jesus.  Egos are checked at the door.  Men come humbly together at the foot of the cross in surrender.   Remember God opposes the proud, but give grace to the humble.  Secondly, the insistence of acknowledging  we are sinner, being helpless in changing ourselves.  “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness” (I John 1:8).   Third, the willingness to take up our cross, meaning that we each have our unique spiritual battles and habitual sin patterns that we struggle with.  We need the help and encouragement of other men.  “If anyone would come after men, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me” (Matt 16:24).

A new song by Selah entitled  “Broken Ladders” speaks to one of the spiritual “land mines” in male spirituality.  Here is the refrain: “All you ever wanted was my heart/My heart, my simple heart/To You that’s all the really matters/Why do I feel I have to reach/Believe I have to rise/When you never said I had to climb/These broken ladders.”  Climbing broken ladders is an apt metaphor for men working on their personal “spiritual improvement projects”  measuring their spiritual progress through personal  “sin management.”   It is an impossible task.  Why do men keep climbing broken ladders?

We keep climbing and reaching because of broken hearts that we can’t fix.  Our work on sin management produces the frustration of broken ladders. God, first and foremost,  wants our hearts not our effort. It takes an “inside job” to fix what is broken. I heard of a very successful high school football coach, who had lead a double life, say he life was broken and he was not able to fix it.  Amen.

Men we are broken.  But the good news is that God is close to the brokenhearted. “The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit (Ps. 34:18).  He is able to heal what is broken. “He heals the brokenhearted and bandages their wounds” (Ps. 147:3).  Isaiah prophesied of Jesus helping the brokenhearted. “He has sent me to comfort the brokenhearted and to proclaim that captives will be released…” (Isaiah 61:1).  God is pleased with a broken spirit. “The sacrifice pleasing to God is a broken spirit.  God, You will not despise a broken and humbled heart” (Ps 51:19).

It  is  humbling to  pray along with David as he acknowledges how broken he was after his affair with Bathsheba.  He is aware of his total dependence upon God’s mercy.  “Have mercy on me, O God, because of your unfailing love.  Because of your great compassion blot out the stain of my sins. (Ps 51:1).  It is difficult for men to surrender totally to the mercy of God.  We think we have to fix something.  No, we come before God in brokenness and humility.

David had some  broken ladders.  “For I recognize my rebellion; it haunts me day and night.  Against you, and you alone have I sinned.  I have done what is evil in your sight….For I was born a sinner – yes, from the moment my mother conceived me.” (Ps. 51:4a-5).  He could not fix himself.  No climbing broken ladders for David.  He knew that  only God can change his  heart. “Create in me a clean heart, O God.  Renew a loyal spirit within me. Do not banish me from your presence, and don’t take your Holy Spirit from me” ( Ps. 51:10-11).

David knew  healing started on the inside.  No amount of effort could fix his broken heart.  “Purify me from my sins and I will be clean, wash me, and I will be whiter than snow…….Don’t keep looking at my sins.  Remove the stain of my guilt” (Ps 51:7 & 9).  Remember the transformation of a man, begins as an “inside job.”  David had confidence in God’s inner work.  “Create in my a clean heart, O God.  Renew a loyal spirit within me.  Do not banish me from your presence, and don’t take your Holy Spirit from me” (Ps. 51:10-11).  God’s inside work brought joy, giving David a  willing heart.   “Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and make me willing to obey you” (Ps 51:12).

Instead of climbing broken ladders produced by a broken heart David found joy and willing heart.  There is a big difference between climbing broken ladders and finding the  joy of inner transformation.

I owe the poet Robert Bly a debt for the image of a wild man back in the early 90’s.  After reading “Iron John” I wanted to be a soulful man, even though I was frightened and insecure about the condition of my soul.   In the 80’s Bly observed, “Every modern male has, lying at the bottom of his psyche, a large primitive being covered with hair down to his feet.  Making contact with this Wildman is the step the 80’s male or the 90’s male has yet to take….  Contemporary  man looks down into his psyche, he may, if conditions are right, find under the water of his soul, lying in an area no one has visited for a long time, an ancient hairy man.” I was intrigued with what lay silent deep within my inner life..

I know I was a stranger in my own house.  In the words of Henry Nouwen, “We know little or nothing of our heart.  We keep our distance from it, as though we were afraid of it.  What is most intimate is also what frightens us most.  Where we are most ourselves, we are often strangers to ourselves.  We fail to know our hidden center….If we ask ourselves why we think, feel and act in a certain way, we often have no answer, thus proving to be strangers in our own house.” For the last 20 years I have attempted it live from my center. continual coming home to my authentic self in Christ.

The image of a ancient hairy man, awakened in me a hunger for which I had little guidance in satisfying at the time.   Richard Rohr’s “The Wildman journey” based on the journey of John the beloved and John the Baptist, depicting movement from the common masculine to the common feminine and back again to the deep masculine was very helpful. Leanne Payne’s call for the affirmed masculine to embrace the hidden feminine, helped me see the need for have  a balance between  being tough and tender.  John Eldridge gave me permission to embrace wild at heart, when he talked of “a fierce warrior who goes beyond his comfort zone, away from what he can control, and who fights for what right.”

For me the concept of being fully alive, fully awake and fully human through inner transformation speaks to encounter with the ancient hairy man.  John the Baptist preaching in the desert of Judea, dressed in camel’s hair, eating locust and wild honey, calling for repentance, echoes a call to be wild.  Matthew tells us, “John, called ‘the Baptizer,’ was preaching in the desert country of Judea.  His message was simple and austere, like his desert surroundings: ‘Change your life, God’s kingdom is here.'” (Matt 3:1-2 – Message).  Later in Matthew Jesus compares John to Elijah. “……John is the ‘Elijah’ you’ve all been expecting to arrive and introduce the Messiah.” (Matt 11:14 – Message).

I wonder if the words spoken to Zechariah, the father of John the Baptist, regarding John,  might not be as true for us today, since it is the work of the same Holy Spirit.  “He will herald God’s arrival in the style and strength of Elijah, soften the hearts of parents to children, and kindle devout understanding among hardened skeptics – he’ll get the people ready for God” (Luke 1:17).  I wonder, because of the confusion and profound distortion regarding the biblical pattern of male and female relationships, if God might not be raising up “Elijah” type men, who are preparing people ready for God, by being a little wild.   These will be men who are 1) soulful 2) subversive, 3) passionate, 4) countercultural  and 5) prophetic.

Men, I recently went to see Cars 3 with my bride and our oldest grandson.  I loved it!  I encourage every man reading this blog to take his kids to see this great animated movie.  Better yet go with your father, who, of course, is the grandfather of your kids.  The truth be told, I fell in love with Miss Fritter.  I would pay to see more of her dominating the demolition derby.  As a grandfather, who wants to pass it on to his grandkids, this movie has a surprisingly positive  plot.

In the movie, the central character, Lightening McQueen, is getting old.  His legacy is being threatened by the next generation of cars. Cruz Ramirez, the young female trainer assigned to McQueen is the new face of future racing.  But because of enhanced technology and data-driven training, McQueen doesn’t have a chance.  McQueen has to decide if he wants to  preserve his superstardom or keep racing  when it seems impossible to win.  Instead Lightening McQueen looks to the past, especially to his mentor, Doc Hudson to value how he was mentored.  Then he looks to the future racing career of Cruz Ramirez.

S.D. Kelly in a review for Christianity Today notes, “McQueen ends up transferring his outsized ambition and intense desire to continue to win races…to Cruz…..he does so without sublimating her own ambition and her own dreams of her career.  It is a lovely depiction of each generation bringing the best of themselves to their interaction….a depiction of legacy-building not often seen: the tricky part of transference.”  Transference can only happen when there is mutual respect.  Kelly gives this take on Cars 3, “McQueen understands this intuitively.  The lessons of history, of Doc Hudson and his generation, of McQueen and the citizens of Radiator Springs, can be passed on to Cruz and her generation of racecars…..only if this willingness to cede the dais is passed on as well.”

The idea of transference or the” passing on” to the  next generation is at the heart this blog.  When God’s people crossed over the Jordan river into the promised land, they placed a memorial of 12 stones in the river as a sign of God’s deliverance for the following generations.  God said to them, “In the future, when your children ask you, ‘What do these stones mean?’ tell them that the flow of the Jorden was cut off before the ark of the covenant of the Lord.  When it crossed the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off.  These stones are to be a memorial to the people of Israel forever.” (Joshua 4:7).   This blog is my humble attempt of  calling attention to the 12 stones, that is, the story of God’s deliverance for men as they go into the promised land, which is now occupied by the enemy.

Like Lightening McQueen I am getting older.  I am further along on the journey.  I have crossed over many years ago.  I have lived in the promised land.  But there is more to conquer and inherit.  The battles will be different for the next generation.  I appreciated the portrayal of Lightening,  passing on his legacy to Cruz.  It’s not about intergenerational disconnect, but rather honoring the ambition and desires of a new generation, while bring out the best of the past. .

I take to heart the words of Ps. 78:4, “We’re not keeping this to ourselves, we’re passing it along to the next generation – God’s fame and fortune, the marvelous things he has done.” Cars 3 has taught  me to honor the godly ambition and desires of younger men,  while sharing wisdom from someone who has been on the journey for a lot of years.

Since I live in the northwoods, I have little access to a good fitness center.  However, I have been fascinated by several articles about Crossfit and SoulCycle fitness centers.  Casper ter Kuile of  Harvard Divinity School has noticed how gyms are starting to fill spiritual and social needs for many nonreligious people.  With over four million users, the leaders of Crossfit, see themselves tending an orchard not building a skyscraper. “The two most strking things about Crossfitters,” observes ter Kuile, “are their evangelical enthusiasm and the way they hold one another to account.”  SoulCycle promotes a shared, transformative experience. Ter Kuile notes, “many participants joke about the cult-like loyalty……which illustrates both the depth of participant commitment and the hope…..to fulfill brand promises like ‘find our soul.'”

What’s going on here?  “As institutional affiliation decreases, people have the same age-old desires for connection, relationships, connection to something bigger than themselves,” maintains ter Kuile.  “….spaces traditionally meant for exercise have become the locations of shared, transformative experience.”  I personally am encouraged by this trend.  Many of the assumptions of Crossfit and SoulCycle mirror the wildman journey.  I want to point out five.

First, the need for relationship. These “boxes” have the feel of family. Men make connections with others. It is  a place of belonging and acceptance.   A recent survey of more than 2,ooo Americans conducted by the Harris Poll showed that almost three quarters (72%) of Americans experienced loneliness.  “Loneliness is ‘an invisible epidemic’ masked by people’s online personas, which rarely reflects real emotions” observed the report.  A Wildman needs a “band of brothers” knowing that “iron sharps iron.”  He can’t stand alone.

Second, the need for a safe space.  These gyms provide not only physical fitness but mental and spiritual transformation as well.  Fitness is a journey into wholeness, recognizing where one is on the path.  The gym provides a safe space to talk about the journey of life.  A Wildman  needs a safe space to talk about the challenges of the spiritual journey.  Men learn the “male mode of feeling”  with other men  in a safe place.

Third. the need of soul care.  It is amazing to me that  SoulCycle would use the phrase, “find your soul.”  There is an organization called “Faith RX’d” which combines CrossFit with Christianity.  They believe “God an be glorified when we honor him with best efforts in the gym, and even more when we discuss ways to grow in a relationship with him, share His gospel and serve the needs of others.” While secular language is used, the language mirrors many of the function of religious communities.  Above all, a Wildman is a soulful man, knowing he needs soul care.

Fourth, the desire  for transformation.  It is amazing to me how open these gyms are  about change and even transformation.  It is no longer just about physical fitness, but of life style change.  A Wildman is a work in progress.  He is being transformed from the inside out, by the spirit of God.  Transformation is God’s work.  There is the expectation that God can bring a change.

Fifth, the zeal  to promote.  One gym owner talked about his passion for his work.  “I want people to know that CrossFit truly is for everyone…. I want to put it all on the line and open an affiliate because I believe in every part of CrossFit and I want to share that with people.”  We live in a day when the Wildman journey is becoming one of the more viable means of resisting the darkness and spiritual chaos coming upon our nation. Wildmen are learning to stand in their true masculine strength.

A recent article in the New York Times tells the story of a 37-year-old social media consultant who wrote on Twitter her concern for a friend not communicating.  “I don’t hear from my friend for a day – my thought, they don’t want to be my friend anymore,” she wrote, appending the hashtag #ThisIsWhatAnxietyFeelsLike.  Soon thousands of people offered their own examples.  It stuck a nerve.  “If you’re a human being living in 2017 and you’re not anxious,” she said, “there’s something wrong with you.”  Notice the anxiety is about relationships.

The article went on to say, “anxiety is starting to seem like a sociological condition….a shared cultural experience ……. …. We’ve been at war since 2003, we’ve seen two recessions.  Just digital life alone has been a massive change.  And nobody seems to trust the people in charge to tell them where they fit into the future” (Kai Wright).  “People with anxiety were previously labeled dramatic,” said Sarah Fader, a Brooklyn social media consultant, “Now we are seen as human being with a legitimate mental health challenge.”

Men, we live in a barren waste land, giving us little help in knowing ourselves, allowing us to have  a healthy relationship with God and  others.  The anxiety discussed in the New York Times article points to a ” depleted self.”  There is no one home on the inside.   This is cause for real anxiety since we are made to have a relationship not only with  God and others, but also ourselves.   Kierkegaard defined faith relationally,  “That the self in being itself and in willing to be itself rest transparently in God.”  “Let me know thee, O God, and myself, that is all,” was the advise of Augustine.  In my opinion, contemplation is vital in dealing with relational anxiety.

We are created as relational beings, who are not able to handle our uniqueness.  Church Father, William of St. Thierry, reflecting on contemplation, asks, “Why, then, do we go outside of ourselves to seek God in external objects when all the while he is with us and in us, if we will only make it our preoccupation to be with Him and in Him?”  Contemplation calls us to pay attention to the center. In contemplation we become aware of God’s presence within.  “You don’t have to search for God, you have only to realize him…So do not go out so much into reflections…but close your eyes like a child and confide yourself to the hidden being who is so near to your inwardly (Tersteegen).” .

When the Psalmist prayed, “Why are you downcast, O my soul?  Why so disturbed within me?” (Ps 42:5), he was aware of how his relationship with himself and God caused him anxiety.  The Message puts it this way, “Why are you down in the dumps, dear soul?  Why are you crying the blues?  Fix my eyes on God – soon I’ll be praising again.”  Fixing our eyes on the Lord is the key to contemplation.

Men, in the days to come you will be tugged two and fro by the conflicting voices in our culture telling you what a man should be  and how he should conduct himself before others.  If you are not sure of who you are, producing  insecurity in your relationship to your heavenly Father, you will be anxious.   Paul reminds us, “For God, who said,’Let light shine out of darkness,’ made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ” (II Cor 4:6).  The darkness of relational anxiety is removed by the light of  Jesus’ presence in our hearts.