I have been reflecting upon a few things lately (I'll get to one of them later)...
In my years as a High School coach I was struck by the manifest difference between individuals with loving two-parent homes, and those from other homes. There was a striking difference in attitude, posture, social-skills, work-ethic, demeanor, etc. Certainly not to say that this was always the case (only predominantly so) or that these young men were saddled with a burden that was beyond their capacity to overcome, simply to observe the phenomenon.
I believe God designed us to live in community. It is this dysfunctional community/family that we see in contemporary American society that leads to many social and individual ills; and even more, that leaves our young men with an inability to understand what it means to be a man. Young men struggle with authority, sexual perversion and promiscuity, acts of self-destruction and rebellion, integrity and self-worth, social engagement and intimacy; and I see these as symptoms of a childhood devoid of loving community/family, examples of true masculinity (i.e. Christ-likeness), and encouragement.
3 comments:
It is this dysfunctional community/family that we see in contemporary American society that leads to many social and individual ills.
There may be some correlation there. But this would certainly presuppose the lack of dysfunctional community/family in non-contemporary American society, in which all is functioning so well. It’s difficult to present any sort of systemic understanding of our heart breaking for the world as it unfolds in front of us. And I'm certain that passing the red-face test with 'the dysfunctional bit' in front of a single mom, such as my own mother, would be difficult at best. I just get these visions of the musical The Music Man, “And not only here in River City…and that starts with P, and that rhymes with T, and that stands for Trouble.”
Keep loving your neighbors!
Sorry David...
...the allusion is lost on me. Music Man?
As to my post:
I didn't communicate very clearly what I was hoping to. I would never claim fatherlessness as the cause of all our problems, nor would I state categorically that it will always lead to problems. I simply wanted to make the observation that I have predominantly found young men (I haven't really thought much about, or interacted much with, young women) in family settings with dysfunctional fathers (whether they were present and dysfunctional or absent and dysfunctional) to have a greater degree of difficulty navigating many of the challenges of childhood, adolesence, and early adulthood. Such challenges being, an ability to engage in healthy intimate relationships with others, a grasp of gender and sexual issues, an ability to deal appropriately with authority figures, healthy outlets for frustration, and a healthy understanding of their own value in the eyes of God.
The Music Man (1962) - A con man comes to a Midwestern town with a scam using a boy's marching band program, but things don't go according to plan. He sees trouble in River City as they are opening a Billiard hall when he arrives. The opening number starts - 'Another word for Billiards in Pool and that starts with P, and that rhymes with T, and that stands for Trouble...right here in River City.' The band is meant to help all those wayward, wild and youth-full boys. It’s a classic. Ask your parents.
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