Slideshow image
I've been hearing this word "Bromance" a fair bit as of late. Bromance is defined as a caring, sharing, let it all out friendship. Jesus had these kinds of friendships. Not surprising, for the Trinity is a beautiful example of this 3 in one community. The fact that we can't do life alone is at the very centre of what we believe. Can't avoid it.

But many of us get freaked out when we talk about these kinds of male friendships. But do we need to? I mean, nature itself gives us these kinds of examples. Take for instance male bonding among elephants. A friend of mine just gave me this article from National Geographic entitled "Male Bonding." 

On the cover is this picture of two males' entwined trunks which signal trust and friendship. I think that's pretty cool.  Pretty amazing picture of friendship. Maybe we have something to learn from nature? Maybe, just maybe God is trying to get our attention. Here's a little of what she wrote.

"During a six year study in Nambia's Etosha National Park, Stanford University behavioural ecologist Caitlin O'Connell-Rodwell observed for the first time intense, long lasting bonds among a dozen or so bulls - a tight-knit group of teenagers, adults, and seniors up to 55 she's dubbed the Boy's Club. Older males serve as mentors and mediators for younger ones, enforcing a strict social hierarchy and keeping underlings in line when hormones rage and rowdiness may erupt." 

I love the picture in this community called the Boy's Club. It says so much. For one, it reminds us that like these younger elephants, our young men are looking to us to show them how. I think many of our kids are asking the same things of us.

“Show me how to achieve justice and extend mercy. Show me how to love my enemies! Show me how to forgive. Show me what to do with all this juice! Show me how.”

But many of us don't know how. I've come to know that for us to discover all we're designed to be, we need to be in relationship. Relationship with a good King. In Relationship with Our ultimate example is Jesus. I love how Richard Rohr puts it. 

“Absalom lacked the breadth and depth of a king. He wasn’t sure what to do with all his energies and his passions. In order for this to take place, a warrior must be in relationship with a king (spiritual fathers or mothers), be submissive to a good king.”