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What follows I neither brag about nor apologize for:  About 15 years ago, I attended a gathering of Promise Keepers at Soldier Field in Chicago, along with tens of thousands of other Christian men.  It was summer and lunches were provided, but the facility service people were not only letting the stacked boxes of food sit out in the hot sun (a great formula for food poisoning), but were attempting to herd the attendees around like mindless sheep.  I admit that, at one point, I did back one of these clowns against a wall, my Bible under his throat, and gently reminded him that he needed to get the food passed out immediately or I would remove part of his anatomy.  Praise the Lord!  The meals were quickly distributed.     

 

I think a lot of  guys get this church stuff all wrong.  I’ve seen a lot of men split from church because they confuse being a Christian with being watery-eyed, gentle patsies who roll over and play dead when someone kicks them in the butt.  I thought that, too, until I met a Catholic priest maybe 45 years ago who had been a tank commander in the Korean War.  He had an incredible mix of no-nonsense Christian gentleness and love, along with the ability to put you against the wall when he needed to get your attention.  (I learned from the best.)

 

My point:  I’m not good at rolling over, and I suspect I’d make a lousy martyr (unless taking a few of them along with me still qualifies).  No, I’m comfortable being both tough-minded and Christian.  I think if more men thought that way, we’d have a whole lot more Christian men. — jri

 

“Always be prepared to give an

gentleness and respect.”

        –    St. Peter

               (1 Peter 3:15)