Have you heard of the Servant Foundation’s “He Gets Us” campaign? Because Christianity has received a lot of negative press lately, the campaign is “designed to create cultural change in the way people think about Jesus and his relevance in our lives,” seeking to start conversations about the authentic Jesus.

A booklet I received through Christianity Today states, “American culture is at a tipping point as younger generations are finding Jesus less relevant.”  The hope is to “help people meet the radical Jesus of the Bible who loves the unlovable and understands human frailties because he experienced them.  Simply put, He gets us.” 

What I find refreshing is the willingness to face squarely current skepticism regarding Jesus. “He Gets Us wants people to understand that Jesus experienced real human challenges during his time of earth.”  The church has not always been a safe place for people with doubts to ask questions about Jesus. Research by He Gets Us found “an overwhelming majority believe in God, and two-thirds believe Jesus existed.”  But they also found those with questions had, “no desire to be in conversation with Christians because they see Christianity as a religion of judgment and hypocrisy.”  

“The church has a unique opportunity to address these spiritual needs while people are open to enriching their lives through the gospel message.”  The campaign challenges the church, “to create safe places for people to explore faith and doubts based on mutual respect, vulnerability, and trust.”  Seekers need to be able to explore, ask questions and challenge perceived norms. Many live with fear. “At the root of fear is a belief that the world cannot be trusted.” Therefore, churches need to “create a safe place to explore their most challenging questions and biggest fears.”  

“Instead of viewing skeptics as the ‘other’, the church has the opportunity to embrace them as fully loved children of God…God does not call the church to operate from this spirit of fear, but he has given freely the gifts of power and love.”  The campaign believes, “people who are skeptical about faith can positively influence the work of the church based on Scripture, historical precedence, and evidence in the present moment.  From revising harmful doctrines to advocating for the vulnerable, healthy skepticism both within and outside of the church have catalyzed Christians to live as more faithful disciples.”  

The booklet concludes with this challenge: “In a world where cultural changes seem to take place at the speed of light, affiliation with Christianity is no exception. Seventy-five percent of Americans self-identified as Christians in 2011.  Just ten years later, that number…dropped to 63%.  America is hurling toward a tipping point – that is, if we haven’t already reached it.”

As a follower of Jesus, I am challenged by the He Gets Us campaign. First, in a day of political polarization and loud voices of dissent, I affirm the secure home provided by our Heavenly Father.  Jesus tells us, “My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him” (John 14:23). 

Second, I have absolute confidence in the truth of Scripture. In II Tim. 3:16, Paul says, “All scripture is inspired by God,” and Jesus himself declared, “My words will never pass away” Matt. 24:35).

Third, I belong to God’s Kingdom. I continue to pray, “Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven” (Matt. 6:10).  This is both revolutionary and counter cultural. 

Fourth, I need to avoid the “god box.” Lord, give me grace to see “outside the box” using Scripture and your Spirit to guide me.

Recently, David French shared a blog entitled, “Against the Extremism of the American Masculinity Debate.”  When it comes to maleness, I follow French.  On other subjects, I’m not so sure…

“Few debates,” observes French, “are more corrupted by extremism than the debate over sex, gender and masculinity.”  I agree.  I have been blogging on masculinity since 2009.  At that time masculinity was seldom mentioned in the national conversation.  Now it has become an intense topic of debate.

French quotes Derek Thompson on the crisis among younger men: “The statistics are stunning.  But education experts and historians aren’t remotely surprised.  Women in the United States have earned more bachelor’s degrees than men every year since the mid-1980s… This particular gender gap hasn’t been breaking news for about 40 years.  But the imbalance reveals a genuine shift in how men participate in education, the economy, and society.  The world has changed dramatically, but the ideology of masculinity isn’t changing fast enough to keep up.”

The result is confusion regarding the role of young men in our culture.  Men are caught between the extremes of traditional masculinity being either toxic or a cultural ideal.  French offers “five general truths” to help us deal with the extremes.  

First, “Men and women are different, and they’ll always be different.”  French rightly observes, “biology has consequences.” We cannot simply try to erase the differences.  Men are faced with an ever-present unisex cultural ideal.  You’ll, “…find yourself fighting against overwhelming biological currents.”  

Second, “The differences between men and women are value-neutral.”  We are not to suppress the expressions of traditional masculinity, but “shape and mold those manifestations towards virtuous ends.”  This can only be accomplished when younger men see masculinity lived out in older men. Women cannot do this. 

Third, “Each boy and [each] girl is still an individual.”  French cautions, “One of the challenges of recognizing general truths is that they tend to oppress or isolate those who don’t fit the mold.”   For example, I struggled for years as a young man, trying to fit into the macho stereotype – not knowing I was a “feeling, intuitive” male who happened to be left-handed.     

Fourth, “Core values are universal.”  The fruit of the Spirit (love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control) are the same for men and women (Gal. 5:22-23).  The command to act justly, love kindness, and walk humbly before God (Micah 6:8) is the same for men and women.  “There is not one set of male virtues and one set of female virtues.”  

Fifth, “Because men and women are different, universal values will often manifest themselves differently.”  In French’s opinion, “This is how good men and good women – brought up in the same universal values – can still tend towards different temperaments and professions. ” Men, for example, will tend to be more courageous in danger because of their strength.  Women will be more nurturing because many bear children. 

The evolution of our economy and culture presents a challenge for men and boys.  “[But filtering] these changes through our polarized, extremist politics, and radical ideologies” makes matters worse.  French concludes by saying, “The goal isn’t to embrace or reject stereotypes, but rather to realize that no matter your son’s temperament, there is always a path to raising a boy to be his own version of a good man.” 

I must confess: In my early days I was more dogmatic about male gender and roles.  I have become more flexible in today’s cultural moment.  But God made men to be men. I am committed to stand with godly men in our day.