What I've Been Reading: 7 Men
What does it look like to be a man, or more specifically, a man of God? Often we hear about “toxic masculinity” being a problem in one context or another. As if the overall confusion regarding gender didn’t create enough problems, men today are discouraged from exhibiting more traditionally male patterns and pursuits. The cultural message to men is that we should be more like women. In the midst of cultural chaos, it is vital to keep great examples of godly men and women before us as we seek to be men and women of God.
Someone who does this well is Eric Metaxas in his book 7 Men. Metaxas writes a brief introduction to sketch out his vision of biblical manhood and then shares brief biographies of seven individuals. Metaxas contends that modern culture’s view of manhood is based on a fear of strength: “Strength is denigrated because it can be used for ill. So we live in a culture where strength is feared and where there is a sense that--to protect the weak--strength itself must be weakened. When this happens, the heroic and true nature of strength is much forgotten” (xx). By contrast Metaxas says true manhood means having a courageous heart or a heart like a lion (xxi). I’m convinced he’s right and that courage is one of the most needed virtues today.
Metaxas chooses men across different nationalities and historical timeframes to provide these inspiring examples of courage in action. He begins with George Washington whose courage and virtue used to be celebrated. In spite of historical revisionism, Washington was a truly great man. Next, Metaxas tells the amazing story of William Wilberforce, whose Christian convictions led him to champion social reforms in Great Britain, including the abolition of the slave trade. Eric Liddell’s courage to prioritize Christ even to the detriment of athletic glory is the next story to be told. Fourth, Metaxas details Pastor Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s faithfulness to Christ in Hitler’s Germany. Jackie Robinson’s willingness to champion racial equality and break the color barrier in Major League Baseball inspires the reader. Sixth, Metaxas shares about how Pope John Paul II played a key role in the collapse of Communism in the USSR. The final chapter is a tribute to Charles Colson, a former Nixon political operative, who came to Christ in prison and spent the rest of his life leading a prison ministry and challenging believers to develop a Christian worldview.
Everyone needs heroes and examples to inspire us to live boldly and give our best effort each day. All of the men Metaxas writes about are flawed and sinful, yet each is great in his own way and has much to offer all of us. The convenience of having seven biographies all wrapped up in one book makes this a great read. Metaxas has also written 7 Women and 7 More Men, which I also recommend.