The Men of Iron Minute
by Chad Zueck | Director of Content Creation
The Repurposing of Masculine Men
Thanksgiving is over. The desserts are on their way out and the longing for a new lifestyle change (i.e., diet) are on their way in. The food, family and frolicking are over for now, and the repurposing of the food followed. The many variations of turkey are a matter of culinary artistry. This coma inducing delight needs repurposing because no one can stand to see the leftover bird becoming worm food. Every Thanksgiving thousands of families take their bird and repurpose it into sandwiches, casseroles, and tacos (yes, even tacos). But that’s not the only thing being repurposed these days.
There is something afoot, and poet Rudy Francisco seems to have found the insidious undergrowth. This cultural tanglefoot is a redefinition and repurposing of masculinity. Notice how Francisco shines a headlamp into the cultural darkness.
“The word “repurpose”
means to take an object
and give it amnesia.
It means to make something forget what
it’s been trained to do so you can
use it for a better reason.
I am learning that this body is not a shotgun.
I am learning that this body is not a pistol.
I am learning that a man is not defined by what he can destroy.
I am learning that a person
who only knows how to fight
can only communicate in violence
and that shouldn’t be anyone’s first language.
I am learning that the difference between
a garden and a graveyard is only what
you choose to put in the ground.”
Rudy Francisco, Helium
Christian men don’t need amnesia for others to culturally repurpose their masculinity. God made man and equipped him to use his masculinity to tend and care for everything in the Garden of Eden. He had weight to carry without sin to heavy his load. A man’s masculinity is useful, practical, and worshipful. A man puts the plow to the ground.
Ten Ways to Grow Your Masculinity
- Being masculine means taking the initiative.
- Being masculine means conviction.
- Being masculine means learning.
- Being masculine means being fit physically.
- Being masculine means spiritual growth.
- Being masculine means integration of heart, mind, and soul.
- Being masculine means leading.
- Being masculine means self-reliance.
- Being masculine means challenge.
- Being masculine means serving others.
What are you putting into the ground?
Be a mentor.
Become a mentor.
Be a new man.
Contact our team today to find out how you can become a mentor, find a mentor and be a better man! And DO NOT forget to check out The Men of Iron Podcast – 5 Principles of Living Manfully Feat. Mike Yarbrough (EP. 94)