I read a thought provoking article today. You can read it here. I recommend taking the time to read it.
While I’m sure there are things to disagree with and argue on the causes of the state of young men today, it certainly was refreshing to hear a number of different options rather than an over simplified “the economy is bad” reason.
If you know me, you know I’m passionate about discipling and mentoring young men – college aged specifically – hence the college missionary thing. This is a trend we’ve seen on campus for quite awhile and it certainly has shifted more-so to the porn soaked, video game addicted side of things since I was a student some 7 years ago.
Often Amy and I talk about a number of solid young women we know – both students and graduates – who are waiting for a man to show up rather than a boy. We can get sad for these women, and I am, but my heart stays with the boys. There is a discontentment in their spirit that is hard to pin down. The guys I’ve worked with over the years know there is more out there than porn and video games, drinking and hook-ups but they’re struggling to figure out what and how to get to it.
This is one of my primary passions as I meet with young men. I want to be a man that “stands up for the weak and disempowered” (a definition the article offers for a real man). In my circles that’s often the young men. In doing so, I hope to provide an alternative path for them, one that calls them up rather than to settle.
