Men

 What does it mean to be a man? Thinking men have asked this question since the beginning of human civilization. The answers have been personal, cultural and representative of their times, even if not always of high character.

In modern times, the feminist movement brought this question to the fore again. There were drumming circles, men’s groups, stadium revivals and more. Men could be stay-at-home dads, acceptably earn less than their wives, do housework—though not so many did.

The AIDS epidemic and the sex scandals in the Catholic Church added new dimensions to the question. The persistent claims of sexual harassment by men in power did the same. How could men be so different? How could they fail in so many ways?

Most recently, same sex marriage, same  sex parents and the new understandings of the gender spectrum, transgender issues, gender fluidity and other ideas about gender and sexuality have made the question of “manliness” even more complicated.

The modern world makes one single answer to the question impossible, even as it calls past notions of manhood into question. Some answers are certainly toxic, some are glorious. The answer is for each man to discover in his lived life. But each answer, to be a socially and personally healthy one, must come out of thoughtful consideration, mature love and a commitment to do no harm.