The Men of Iron Minute

by Chad Zueck | Director of Content Creation

The View from the Top

A group of four men dares to mountaineer deep into the Colorado Rockies. Seasoned through success and failure, the men dream of the view at the top of Longs Peak. Longs Peak will be the nearly 16-hour challenge they have been looking for. They long for the hues of the glistening snow line and the exposure of the red-hued rock face en route to the 14,259 foot summit. Along the trek, they’ve seen the natural beauty of the Garden of the Gods and the rugged 28-mile Four Pass Loop, and Longs Peak is the crescendo. This Rockies trip has been circled on the calendar longer than their kids have been alive and well before life becomes more complicated and fast-paced. Though their health and fitness are on point, their moral and spiritual lives are lagging. They are all married with careers, kids, and other excuses for their lackluster lives. The struggle of this hike has uncovered the tussles in their personal lives. Alas, there’s hope.

Through the college years, these men were very close, and things changed. At one time, they were close enough to give and receive advice. They didn’t just do things together; they did things together with intentionality. They spurred one another toward love and good deeds, as Hebrews described (Hebrews 10:24). They once believed that manhood was a high call on their lives, and this trip would awaken them to the truth they had been neglecting. Each man searches for something deeper than miles on a remote trail and storytelling around a fire. Secretly and independently, they long for a bit of the past and deeper inspiration for the future.

Emerson posited, “The search after the great men is the dream of youth and the most serious occupation of manhood.” The search or quest that men like these four mountaineers desire are not personal exploits but meaningful experiences together ascending the mountain of manhood. Emerson recognizes the admiration of young men looking up to greater men and the required shift from idolization towards actualization. Go beyond dreaming as boys do and take personal strides towards manhood as good men do. In this quote, youthful and seasoned men are valuable to one another, much like in a mentorship. The youthful have a man to emulate, and the seasoned have wisdom to share.

This expedition pointed the men toward a dream once coveted and a future once forgotten.

Wouldn’t we all be better men if we had other men committed to our growth?

Yes, we would, and mentorships can help.

Be a mentor.

Find a mentor.

Be a better man.

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