As part of my pursuit towards a Doctor of Ministry degree, I am researching information for my Dissertation/Project.  The topic is, “Being Real: San Francisco bay area men discovering their authentic identity before God and each other through Spiritual direction. 

     I chose this topic, because I believe that many men are unable to be real before God and one another.  This stems from a distorted image of themselves that keeps them from becoming the people that God intends for them to be.  It affects all their relationships by limiting the depths of intimacy which can be experienced.  This distortion may come from family of origin, their culture, or what is perceived to be acceptable within society.  Examples of this would include ideas that men are not to show feelings or emotion, men don’t cry, or concepts of pecking order and superiority.

     When thinking about masculinity and femininity we have stereotypical roles and definitions of what men are to be like and what women are to be like.  Because of these ideas, we as men many times keep women in places of inferiority by not letting them be fully as they were intended to be.  We also limit ourselves by not allowing men to show the traits that we consider to be feminine.  The scriptures tell us that we were made male and female and that we are all made in the image of God.  The apostle Paul tells us that we are neither male nor female, slave nor free, but that we are all one in Christ Jesus.  Yet, Christianity still maintains these definitions.  We speak of social justice and are involved in many ways, but this area of justice still is in want.  Because of this message women have bought into the lie, just as men have.  Each in our own way perpetuating the injustice and suffering consequences.  None of us living out the truth of who we are before each other and God.  God help us to move out of this brokenness for the sake of ourselves, our world, and his kingdom.

Picture: Human Rights, by tao_zhyn