<blockquote><strong>Women and men</strong>
<strong>Bringing with them messages of love</strong>
<strong>And everywhere they go love will grow</strong>
<strong>When you see the faces of the women</strong>
<strong>And the men, you too will know</strong>
~<em>Women and Men</em>, They Might Be Giants
I don't know about anyone else, but I am heartily sick of trendy "masculine Christianity."

As far as I can tell, the definition of <em>masculine</em> is culturally driven and narrowly defined.  I credit my favorite description of this to author James Howe in his YA novel <em>Totally Joe</em>: "Guy-guy."  You know exactly what he means—the type of person who is, in one way or another, a shining example of what it means to be a real man.  Not just someone whose interests encompass home repair, cars, or video gaming, but someone who is considered undeniably <em>male.</em>  Anyone outside that has crossed the lines of what is healthy manhood into the dangerous waters of undefined gender roles.</blockquote>
Most disturbing is how instead of rejoicing that boys have a wider range of options available beyond the bounds of gender stereotype, some men are fighting back.  Christian leaders are claiming that boys are lost in a frightening whorl of indeterminate gender, unable to fulfill their God-appointed roles.  Others are demanding that Christians examine gender roles in the context of “what God has designed.”  Some blame “the feminists” (whoever those are; they may be imagining a panel of butch lesbians handing down edicts to the rest of us)—apparently, feminists all want a neuter society wherein no one dresses or behaves as a normal man or woman.

What saddens me about this is the way it perpetuates the myth of pink and blue.  It also gives (male) pastors license to make pronouncements from the pulpit about what men and women “are like.”  How many times have both men and women had to sit through a sermon on sexuality which was demeaning for both?  Men are perverts with porn addictions; women are uptight and frigid, yet somehow also slutty.  It’s embarrassing.

When we’re not being classified by our sex drives or harassed for defying cultural norms, we have to cope with the idea that certain personality traits have gender.  Being gentle, merciful, compassionate, and nurturing are feminine; being strong, tough, and forceful are masculine.  An emphasis on social justice, love, and mercy has led to recent movements in Christianity to be labeled false, emasculated, and submissive.

Yet my reading of Scripture implies that’s exactly what Jesus expects from us.  He didn’t turn over the money lenders’ tables or call the Pharisees a brood of vipers in order to demonstrate his hyper-masculine superpowers.  If he’d wanted to do that, he might have overthrown the Roman government or called the resistance movement to arms.  When dealing with the everyday, ordinary struggles, including the sins of the people, Jesus was gentle, humble, compassionate, and forgiving.

I agree that we shouldn’t just sit around having potluck suppers and singing “Kum ba ya.”  But becoming Warrior Christians isn’t the answer.  We can still exhibit strength by standing up for what we believe in and for those who cannot stand for themselves.

<strong>So God created mankind in his own image,
in the image of God he created them;
male and female he created them.</strong>  ~Genesis 1:27

<strong>There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.</strong>  ~Galatians 3:28
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