We are seeing today a rebooting of the
radical individualism of the 1970's and '80's. It was Tom Wolfe who
originally named the 70's in particular "The Me Decade," but the
consumeristic excess and further political polarization of the 80's only
compounded the aggressive narcissism of the culture, especially among
men. Think of
Wall Street's Gordon Gecko or Sylvester Stallone's Rambo rolled into one.
In the 90's and 00's we experimented with a kinder, gentler
masculinity, but without Christ at the center, sensitive manhood becomes
milquetoast, passive, pathetic. And without Christ at the center,
rugged, aggressive manhood becomes, to use a phrase not uncontroversial
today, "toxic masculinity."
And so now, even this very day and week, our culture is wrestling with the heart of masculinity.
Every several years, we see these micro-movements arise, sometimes as
a response to alleged feminization of Christianity, sometimes as a
reaction to feminist influence in general. We’ve seen the come and go of
The Promise Keepers. As they were too touchy-feely and too Baby
Boomer-centric, we then saw the swell and crest of the John Eldredge Wild at Heart
trend. As that was not theological or hipster enough, we then saw the
rise and fall of macho Calvinism. Vestiges of each of these movements
still fill various tide pools on the rocky shore of the church today.
But the current wave of manhood reclamation is something different. The
current wave seems to be an odd convergence of Jungian pyschology and
right-wing politics, a multi-pronged response to hipster softness,
political correctness, and a perceived infiltration of evangelicalism by
cultural Marxism.
Today’s evangelical hyper-masculinity proliferates among anonymous
Twitter accounts and boisterous YouTube channels. Its advocates quote
Scripture alongside non-Christian political theorists and philosophers,
and even voices from the so-called "intellectual dark web." It has
co-opted jargon first pioneered online by the political alt-right and
Internet white supremacists. These voices have taken to categorizing men
as either “alpha” or “beta,” classifications that most recently came to
resurgence within misogynistic web forums.
Is there good in young men rejecting passivity, taking
responsibility, and seeking to better themselves and the world around
them? Yes, undoubtedly. But the arteries of anger, victimhood, and
aggressive machismo running through the new movement do not bode well.
We have seen the story of toxic masculinity play out time and time
again, and it never ends neatly.
The hyper-masculine evangelical man comes across the apostle Paul
telling the Judaizers to emasculate themselves (Gal. 5:12) and builds an
entire persona around the verse while disregarding the vast amount of
ink spent on gentleness, quietness, peaceability, and self-control. None
of those qualities are conducive to the kind of power these aspiring
alpha males want. But they are exceptionally conducive to the kind of
power Jesus promises us through the Spirit.
I do not see much talk amongst any tribe of Christian men today about
meekness. Every now and again some author or preacher will define
meekness for men as “power under control,” which is a fine definition as
far as it goes, but it always feels a bit like spin to me, a way to
make what Christ commends sound more appealing to those least interested
in it.
The wild-at-heart alpha male believes the world is what he makes it.
And the world he makes turns out not so hospitable to those unlike him,
and not really worthy of his own imaging of God.
By contrast, Jesus says, “Blessed are the meek, for they shall
inherit the earth” (Matt. 5:5, ESV). Paul says, “I appeal to you by the
meekness and gentleness of Christ” (2 Cor. 10:1) and “we
were gentle among you, as a nurse nurtures her own children” (1 Thess.
2:7).
What are they commending as a thoroughly Christlike disposition?
Power under control, I suppose you could say. But more accurately, weaponized weakness. Not passivity. Not spinelessness. But a fearless humility resting in the Spiritual security of Christ.
What does it look like?
In action, meekness often means not having to have the last word.
Meekness means not feeling like every online scrum and outrage du jour
needs your two cents, much less your forty-five minute point-by-point
podcast debunking. Meekness isn’t afraid of losing face, being seen as
weak, being misjudged or underestimated. Meekness is not concerned that
you feel the weight of it—and thus you do.
Every now and again I read some male diatribe against the
feminization of the church, explaining why men don’t go to church
services. This explains the rise of alternate, tribal church experiences
like “biker church” or “cowboy church.” These men cannot abide church
experiences that do not center their feelings and interests. They are
not secure enough for that.
It turns out that the hyper-masculine man is a lot more fragile than we thought.
He really must feel uncomfortable by the Sermon on the Mount. Because
only namby-pamby pushovers walk second miles and give shirts to those
who ask for coats. The alpha male cannot make heads or tails of “blessed
are the meek.”
The devil, we should add, hates meekness. He himself of course is not
meek, and he does not nurture it among his unwitting quarry. Passivity,
yes. Meekness, no.
Thus, seeking meekness is audacious. It is counter-cultural in both
the world and evangelicalism and therefore it is an invitation to
be despised. But the truly meek aren't worried. Their manhood does not
rest on outward exhibitions or the approval of other men.
What the devil wants from us is aggressive and assertive
self-interest. If the Great Commandment is to love God first and
neighbor second, our enemy would love if we’d all just look out for
“number one.” The feeding of our pride is a key campaign strategy for
his minions, because “Pride comes before destruction, and an arrogant
spirit before a fall” (Prov. 16:18).
In the end, those who believe the world is what they make it will discover themselves in a wasteland of their own devising.
But the meek? They will live forever.
Jared C. Wilson is Assistant Professor of Pastoral Ministry at Spurgeon College, Author in Residence at Midwestern Seminary, General Editor of For The Church (and co-host of the For The Church Podcast), Director of the Pastoral Training Center at Liberty Baptist Church, and author of numerous books, including The Pastor’s Justification, The Imperfect Disciple, The Gospel According to Satan, and The Gospel-Driven Church. A frequent preacher and speaker at churches and conferences
