Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
With only one match left, the World Cup is coming to a close. This past month has been full of sports excitement, hilarious social media videos, great soccer, and global friendship. One of my favorite things about watching the World Cup is when the camera crew pans out and shows the fans throughout the stadium - men, women, and children in all their humanity. The tears and the cheers, the Viking Row and the Wave, the flag waving and song singing - it’s all been so fun.
But my favorite fans have been the groups of men. The 20-somethings from Japan who travelled not just for their team, but to create memories in a country they had always wanted to visit. The father-son duos from Latin American countries who held each other tightly during each corner kick and then lost their ever-loving minds when the ball touched the back of the net. The squads of over-40’s men from Australia, Norway, Germany, England and more who hugged, high-fived, and swayed through wet eyes as they sang “Country Roads” one last time.
All of this has really made me think about male friendship.
Back in 1990, a survey of American men revealed that 40% of men claimed to have 6+ friends that they hung out with regularly and could lean on when they needed them. Today, that same survey has shown that in only 30 years time, that same number has dropped to 15%. Worse still, almost 20% of men actually said that they don’t even have one friend they could truly lean on. Yet, it’s not just friendships we should be worried about.The stats around men are abysmal. American men are lonelier, more worried, more stressed, and more confused than ever before. There are a multitude of causes for these numbers, but I must confess that it all just makes me so sad.
And yet, there is a solution. A vast majority of sociological and psychological experts agree that the primary solution to this epidemic is that men need meaningful friendship and purposeful community.
In other words, men need the church. More specifically for the Men of Mosaic, they need their brothers in Christ here at Mosaic. This is not to say that men should be given free reign to just go hang with the boys whenever they want. No, men are “workers and keepers” (Gen 2:15) with God-given roles, responsibilities, and relationships to cultivate, protect, lead, and initiate. But it is a call for men to take seriously their call to develop and regularly attend friendships with men whose lives have been transformed by Christ. Things like the upcoming Men’s Conference are a perfect opportunity to make this happen! At the very least, I think it’s time for families to discuss the importance of both male and female friendships, to prioritize mutual submission (Eph 5:21) for the glory of Christ and the blessing of one another. What sacrifices need to be made so each of you can foster meaningful friendships? What scheduled items need to change so friendship can be rightly valued? Let us walk in freedom more fully and with one another more closely.
For His Glory and our good.
