Three wise men, are you serious?- Anonymous
The way I eat my rice, cucumber and the fried chicken was mechanical. My mind was set on the flow of the conversation. I was eating lunch with my colleagues when the topic on masculinity was stirred. One colleague pointed out a statement, “It is easy to find any man, but to find a real man these days”, she shook her head in pessimism. To which, another man colleague reacted outrageously, “Oh come on a real man? Now you even have to qualify and quantify a man for being a man?”
I just smiled at the clash of men versus women altercation and once in a while came in to instigate and moderate the debate. The lunch table was in uproar as more stories about men, masculinity and homosexuality were stirred. As the lunch break neared to an end, the rumble slowly died down as each staff prepared for his way to their respective office laughing about the topic.
While finding my way to my office, I also had to admit honestly to myself asking such question, “But where are the real men these days?” Most of the time, we see men turned rainbow gay, men afraid of commitments, men buried on their computers and gadgets, men chasing pantyhose or men smelling like a car interior.
I once was trying to photograph a little boy living in an urban backstreet during a street feeding outreach. He did not have an underwear but only wore a midrib torn dirty t-shirt so I was sure he was a boy. But when I held up my camera close to my eyes, the kid suddenly posed like a supermodel gay while the rest of the children around bullied and teased him gay. I silenced each child and pointed out that this young boy is not gay. Did you just see that penis?!!! But the thing is the young boy seemed to be embarrassed of what I did not because I told everyone that he is not gay but more so because it is as if he himself considers himself gay. Worst to that, the mother of the said young boy was also laughing half-heartedly saying to everyone, but this child of mine is gay. I exclaimed a disagreement to the mother and to everybody pointing out the truth gently as I could as I don’t want to be misunderstood of condemning a person which I do not have the right to do. I just don’t want to tolerate a behavior especially if it is a lie. As far as I know from the book of Genesis, God only created a male and female and they were named man and woman. I do not believe the theory of evolution. Why believe a theory if there is a truth?
One time I was astounded to watch a documentary video about a family man who awas well respected as a university professor at the age of 40 finally self-confessed homosexual. I recently heard and read reports of recent officiated gay marriages in the Philippines. I mean 25 years ago, homosexuality had been a taboo yet but nowadays in almost every corner of the street in just one ride around this urban city, I noticed in every other corner it is common to see gays just floundering and strutting down street feeling like a pretty woman. Please don’ t tell me to mind my own business. A woman like me, I can not allow somebody else particularly a man to snatch my image as a woman and worst allow them to forget their own image as a man. I mean the significance of men lies in being who they are but God saw that it is not good for a man to be alone so the woman was created. Now, it is rather difficult to point out that our significance as a woman actually relies in who were made from, with and for. Why can I not speak?
As I try to think about this issue, my heart cries not only because I look at this homosexuality as pathetic but I rather feel this homosexuality is a direct insult to a God, the Maker of man and woman. If I even feel strong about such opposition to this outright perversion, what more could the Maker feel about this. God has already set the truth but why do people still choose to wallow in lies and perversion?
The city of Corinth was known as a place of idolaters and perversion to where the Apostle Paul wrote straightforwardly in his letter chapter 1:9-11, “ Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God. Such were some of you; but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God.”
Somebody pro-gay said one time, what if I don’t want to inherit the kingdom of God. Herein lies the problem-the main problem of man living out of a relationship to His Maker. And I told him, and that really becomes your problem not mine. But I do care about you so here let me continue. Somehow, it is formidable to ground the view of manhood without connecting the roles and responsibilities assigned in the truth and light of Scripture. While God has made men and women in his image, he has also given them particular roles and functions that correspond to their gender. Moses, Gideon, David, Paul and the many men mentioned in the Bible placed their confidence and strength as men not only in what the society or relatively in what their heart tells them to do but atop all they found it in the image and purpose of God, their Maker. I mean they were not perfect men but their role of leadership and oversight was founded in the God of Truth which overall is Omniscient in leading them. This where they draw their confidence as men-as leaders.
And now women, it might not be easy as just pointing our index finger at all the failures in men while the rest of the fingers are pointing at us. Quoting from someone who said, men are lost without war to fight for while women tries hard to keep men under their feet and organize things in priority is not just a quote but is obvious in the way women and the society act in dysfunction of their roles. For example: Our culture (and even some of our churches) has adopted a strategy that facilitates the feminization of men. Masculinity, with its predilection to adventure, rowdiness, and risk has become a condition to be cured. Consequently, boys are in big trouble. School systems and churches have not taken the unique features of masculinity into consideration when designing curriculum or programs. Our culture, intent on emasculating its boys, has produced a huge sense of withdrawal and boredom from its men. As disconcerting as it may be to mothers everywhere, masculinity can only be imparted by masculinity. In other words, a young boy is never really sure he has become a man until another man, or group of men, tells him so. Sadly, many, if not most, men have abdicated this responsibility. Every man needs a battle for which he can live and die.
In other words, men don’t really need a permission to be men (especially from coming from women). God created man and did not just left him lost in the earth but had installed him in authority to rule over every creature of the earth except his fellow men and women (that’s why men and women piss each other off when they try to rule over each other). Therefore, it is stupid to see when creature and the world as whole rule over a man and to see man lost in his image and abuses his authority. In the context of home and community, men are the appointed leaders and wives are in submission not as inferiors but helpmate as it has been said by God…”it is not good for man to be alone”.
In a society where in there is a confusion about what is truth, purpose and responsibility, there is anarchy. People often seek for truth and want it to prevail, then there should be hope because Jesus said in John 8:32 “you will know the Truth and the truth will set you free.” And in John 14:6, he declared, “I am the way, the TRUTH and the life…”
But what has been the response of foolish men? John 3:19-20 points out, “This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil.Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed.But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God.”
May this verdict not be upon you oh wise and strong man- the lover of Truth! I do not look at you with a measure stick to say, not man enough. You look at me when you woke up in the Garden of Eden. You are the man. And thus, I am the woman.
