Food 4 Thought by Marcia Dixon MBE
CHRISTIAN MEN ARE SEXY!!!
Philip Anthony Mitchell, the preaching darling of Millennials and Gen Z, recently went viral – again – after he described during a sermon the qualities that make a man sexy
His description of a sexy man is nothing liked the world’s version, which usually focuses on physical appearance. Instead, Philip Anthony listed a set of biblical-inspired attributes that make a man ‘sexy’. Qualities mentioned included being responsible, loving to read, able to suffer, hating sin, desirous of holiness and purity, and willing to apologise. He forgot to add forgiving – but I’ll let him off for that, lol!
In this social media age, where terms such as ‘the manosphere’ and ‘toxic masculinity’ are now part of social discourse when talking about men, it’s refreshing that Philip Anthony has shared – in a language his audience can understand – the attributes of a sexy man, aka a godly man who has dedicated his life to following Christ.
Can you imagine what the Black community would be like if it were filled with sexy men?
Lazy, womanising men, who didn’t look after their children or refused to get married and had no sense of purpose or direction would be a thing of the past. Instead, our community would be overrun with men who would be exemplary role models for their peers and young people, great husbands to their wives, and loving fathers to their children, as well as be individuals who would make great use of their God-given talents.
It’s imperative for churches to find a way to share the Gospel in a way that appeals to the male psyche. There’s no reason why Christianity can’t be as appealing to men as it is for women. Jesus Christ, the Founder of Christianity, possesses and exemplifies all the qualities that any decent man should want to emulate.
I’m confident that if the Church focused on reaching men with the Gospel, there would be an influx of men into our congregations. I remember, whilst working at The Voice newspaper, I wrote an article about the lack of men in church, and why efforts should be made to reach them. One pastor took my words to heart and actively evangelised men, even inviting me to a Sunday church service to see the fruit of his labour. Inspired by my article, he told me went out evangelising, making sure he made a beeline for men. And, in doing so, men got saved.
Let’s take on board Philip Anthony’s word and pray for our churches to be filled with sexy men, filled with the spirit of Christ, recognising it’s not an impossible task to achieve.
MAKE DOMESTIC ABUSE A THING OF THE PAST
In recent months, my Facebook feed has been filled with stories about victims of domestic abuse and domestic violence (DA&DV), and three stories stood out. One was of a female pastor, who was shot dead by her husband during an argument. Their daughter was not aware her parents had marital problems. The second was of a dentist and mother-of-two on the verge of finalising her divorce. The husband, a former high-ranking politician, shot his wife and then himself, leaving their children orphaned. The third story was of a politician who was killed by her husband.
Although all incidents took place in the US, the stories highlighted the seriousness of domestic abuse and violence. Christian couples are not immune. And it’s important to note, amidst the various marital issues pastors deal with, DA&DV is high amongst them.
Statistics indicate that 1 in 4 women and 1 in 5 men will experience DA&DV, therefore it’s important for churches to train both leaders and members to provide appropriate support for victims.
One organisation that does so is the Black Church Domestic Abuse Forum (BCDAF), which was specifically set up for the task. It also provides a free toolkit that can be downloaded from www.bcdaf.org.uk
DA&DV is a scourge in society, negatively affects relationships, and impacts future generations. We need to do all we can to rid this sickness from people’s lives and the help is available for us to do so.
HOME DINNERS: THE ANTIDOTE TO LONELINESS?
It’s evident there is much loneliness in our society – this includes within our churches. It seems we’ve forgotten what makes life enjoyable – faith, purpose, serving others and meaningful relationships. A lack of these factors can leave us feeling unfulfilled and lonely.
I have an antidote to loneliness: invite people round for dinner.
There’s something special about eating a meal in someone’s home. While people are eating – especially if the food is delicious! – they tend to relax, open up, share what’s on their heart, and can begin the process of building meaningful relationships. I know of instances where the simple act of inviting people round for dinner has resulted in marriages. Let’s not forget Jesus ate with the disciples regularly, and the early Church always met together to eat.
The age-old custom of breaking bread with others can make such a difference. I encourage you to try doing so.
