Part 1 of a series of 3 posts.
This series of posts will be an overview of the six stages of masculinity from “The Masculine Journey”.
What does it mean to be a man? What is manliness or masculinity? Both men and women want to know the answer to the question, “What does it mean to be a man?” Does anyone have a clue? I suppose most men would hesitate before throwing out an answer and would have a fear of getting swallowed by feminist equalitarianism when answering that question.
You men that have reached the mature or sage stage of your life might want to pass some of these posts on to your young men in the creational or phallic stages to help them to not get lost or stuck along the way to where you are. Oh, now you ask what is a “creational stage and what is a phallic stage”? Stay with me on these posts and learn. For you men that are looking for what has been lost I hope it shows up here.
The model that Jesus gives us in the gospel should provide a good visual image for man. You must, however, study His life without any of the modern interpretations or miss-representations that I see so often. You must read the word for what it is and let it speak for itself. Jesus modeled both strength and sensitivity which change as men grow older. Manhood will look differently as you move through your adult life cycle.
Remember men that your life is a journey and on any journey the landscape changes as you travel. Some of you might say, “c’mon man”, there is nothing that is normal anymore when it comes to the subject of gender”. To a certain extent I am inclined to agree with you if we’re only talking about our warped cultural and social mindset these days. Make note, however, there are very critical differences between male and female in just about every area we can think of. Because a high percentage of males born today do not have the presence of a father and we have a dominant force of feminine expectations about men, it is not “politically correct” or “socially correct” to be talking about “the normal male”.
As you men travel your journey you will leave and arrive at a new place at times. You need to be aware when this happens that you will have a separation from the past, with an introduction to the new place and this will cause you some confusion to work through.
I don’t know that I will address marriage much here but when a man gets married he throws himself right smack dab in the middle of chaos and change. I remember when I got married. I did not give a second thought to the adjustment and change that would be required. If all men would get in touch with the adjustment needed most would wait and some might be scared out of it. Maybe, I say maybe, because I was young, blinded and just married her. I was heavily bound in the phallic stage which will be explained later. Now if you were to combine another event to cause adjustment such as a young man losing his job in the first year of marriage the adjustment, chaos, confusion and transition is longer and harder. When those kinds of things happen it will feel like your lesson is inappropriate for the season of life you are in and much too harsh. These experiences are actually normal. Don’t let anyone tell you they are not. These are rich experiences that will cause you to learn more about yourself and your manhood than any book or lecture could provide. Survive them and move to the next stop on your journey.
“The glory of young men is their strength: and the beauty of old men is the grey head”, Proverbs 20:29. In other words, “young men are defined by their warrior strength and old men are defined by their wisdom” says Dr. Hicks.[1] What a man is greatly depends on what season in life he is in. These different seasons of life also provide different spiritual challenges and issues relating to faith. Children need to know that sins are forgiven; younger men need to overcome the tendency to do evil; and older men need to hang in there and value the spiritual persistence. As it is written, “I write unto you, little children, because your sins are forgiven you for his name’s sake. I write unto you, fathers, because ye have known him that is from the beginning. I write unto you, young men, because ye have overcome the wicked one. I write unto you, little children, because ye have known the Father. I have written unto you, fathers, because ye have known him that is from the beginning. I have written unto you, young men, because ye are strong, and the word of God abideth in you, and ye have overcome the wicked one”,1 John 2:12-14.
In Dr. Hick’s writings he plotted out six Hebrew words that represent the male journey.
Follow along with me in part 2 as I provide a quick overview of each stage of the masculine journey by working through the meaning of these six Hebrew words from Scripture.
“The Tubthumper”
