One of the greatest needs of our world today, perhaps THE greatest, is better men.
Truly good men lift the world around them. They remove fear, empower women, create safety for children, and make society better. Good men rescue, heal, serve, and run toward danger for the sake of others instead of away from it. They upend oppressive systems and improve their part of the world.
Stated another way, good men look like Jesus Christ.
Jesus so embodied good and powerful manhood that when Pontius Pilate presented Him to the crowd chanting for His death, he simply said, “Behold the man!” (John 19:5)
We need that kind of man today. Our moment in history is awash with parodies of masculinity and toxic men, men whose character has not matured along with their bodies. The Epstein files, still unresolved and largely concealed, loom overhead, while leadership crises and scandals surround us.
Jessica and I recently watched Louis Theroux’ Netflix documentary “Inside the Manosphere” and were heartbroken to see so many young men looking to that devastating culture for guidance on being men. Men were made to be valiant, honorable, and strong, not selfish, misogynistic, and proud. Our world is upside down, and we need to help reset it. I can’t dismantle the Manosphere, but I can teach my grandson how men should live. I can love my wife, show up for my daughters, and do my best to serve.
A recent Instagram post captured the frustration many young women feel today. The author wrote, “We don’t hate men. We hate abusive men…toxic men…unsafe men.”
Good men are not perfect–no one is–but they are quick to repent and reform when they fall short or lose their way. Good men want to grow. So let’s be better. Let’s model a form of masculinity that exposes the counterfeit and begins to heal our world.