“The scandal of the cross is that God’s strength is incarnated in weakness.”
I really want to encourage you to listen to a message by Al Dueck, a professor of psychology at Fuller. He delivered this talk as a Baccalaureate message to Fuller’s graduates just this past week. He offers a strict warning to those who would confuse Christian evangelism with religious colonialism. He also illuminates us to the similarity of our current president to 19th century British statesman, Thomas Mcaulay, who charged his country…
“We the British must at present do our best to form a class of persons, Indian in blood and color, but English in taste, in opinions, in morals, and in intellect.”
As a male follower of Christ, I am reminded that in God’s economy it is in making myself vulnerable and meek and not making myself powerful and dominant that I am most like God. Dueck calls out those who would fault the church for being overly feminine by asking them to consider whether or not men are willing to lay aside their culturally enhanced need for dominance and superiority in order to take on the character of Christ.
This is a great corrective to the macho impulse a la folks like Mark Driscoll and John Eldridge who would have us believe that vulnerability and appearing weak go against what it means to “be a man.”
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Have you read John Eldridges stuff? I have read 4 or 5 of his books and don’t get from them that he “would have us believe that vulnerability and appearing weak go against what it means to “be a man.”
Yes, of course I have read some of Eldredge’s material. I am not in the habit of critiquing peoples work if I am not actually familiar with it. In fact, we had to read several of his books when I was on staff at RiverTree. You know what the result was? We started to host car and motorcycle shows in our parking lot on specific weekends as a way to “bring in the men.” So, perhaps my criticism is more of what churches have done with these books than the books themselves, but I’d still venture to say that the thrust of the books is anthropocentric (beginning from a human notion of what it means to be a man) as opposed to theocentric (beginning with the character and nature of God) and therefore winds up distorting God’s desire for humanity. Honestly, when is the last time you heard someone finish reading one of Eldredge’s books and conclude that what it means to be in the image of God as a man entails vulnerability and weakness? That’s not something I have ever come across.
How do we go about dealing with a specific calling that the Lord has given us? Isn’t it possible, in our desire to accomplish the work God has laid out for us, that it may come across as dominant or superior? It seems difficult for me to find that meek/humble vs. dominant balance. Any ideas or readings you can point me to?
Hey JR,
I apologize. I was a little defensive. But, at least I know now that if you critique, you are familiar. I think part of this falls under the idea you just described a few posts ago about authors. See, in our body, his books have been springboards for men coming together in a very intimate way. We have ventured into some dark places in our hearts, exposing our hurts and wounds, in an effort to know God more deeply as our Healer and in an effort to know each other more deeply. Just because someone doesn’t walk away from meeting you and say, “That JR is gentle,” doesn’t mean you aren’t gentle. My point is that men coming together in genuine relationship and exposure is a very “vulnerable” and “weak” concept, as opposed to the “macho impulse” you assert. His books have also encouraged me to reject passivity and stand up for what is right, to pursue my wife more completely, to live more passionately, and to serve Christ more courageously. These all call for vulnerablility because at the core of these is risk. I look at what you are doing JR, speaking out on some difficult things, taking a stand, and challenging the body of Christ to rethink their whole life. This takes risk and vulnerability because you open yourself to being wounded, hurt, criticized, judged, attacked, and the list goes on. That is the veru definition of vulnerability according to dictionary.com.
Nick,
From what I hear you saying, you had every right to be defensive. Apparently your church was able to use Eldredge’s material in the best of possible ways and I’m thrilled to hear it. Like I said in my last comment, I think I misstated what I meant to convey in the original post – my issue is more what some have done with Eldredge’s books than the books themselves.
I appreciate that you note a kind of vulnerability on my part in what I am writing and trying to do and convey, but I have to admit that I have a propensity to assert the wrong kind of courage.
There is a courage which is self-asserting and belligerent – a kind of “look out cause I’m coming through” sort of courage, and another sort of courage which is self-sacrificial and humble. More and more I am asking God for that sort of courage.
Thanks for your thoughts and heart brother. Tell Katie I said hi.
Babs,
I am not sure this is something I’d even want to achieve balance on. If we’re to follow the way of Jesus, then any and every goal we could ever hope to accomplish ought to be accomplished in and through serving others. I think the calling of Jesus on the lives of believers is one in which we are invited to forsake making things happen through power, control, and domination. Instead, by siding with the poor and oppressed, the marginalized and rejected, we advocate for a different way to see and engage the world. In metaphorically walking the 2nd mile, giving up our tunic, and turning the other cheek, we exert a different kind of power that has double implications – it exposes oppressive and dominating forces and it empowers those typically thought of as powerless.
As far as resources, if you didn’t already listen to the message I linked to, it’s really good and just about any piece of Anabaptist resource you can find will probably provide some great perspective on Christian influence through non-violence and service to others. I can probably come up with more specific stuff, but nothing easily accessible comes to mind right now. Anybody else have thoughts?