A Challenge to Christian Men

My cousin, Jason, died two years ago when he crashed his truck on the PA turnpike. I miss him a lot. He had made many questionable choices in his young life, getting caught up in many of the things the world throws at young men these days. He also had a big heart and was a lot of fun to be around. Our family misses having him around.

A couple weeks ago, a young man I knew from East Hills died violently. He, like many young men in our culture, made some questionable choices that got him caught up in the street life. He was not just a street thug. He had hopes and dreams and emotions just like anyone else. His death was not just a statistic to me. He meant something to me, and his story was tragic.

I often write positive stories on this blog. I am still being reflective here, but not necessarily in a positive way. I miss both of these young men, and I wish I could have done more to help to guide them down a better path in their lives. I know I at least tried. But... I do have that opportunity with countless other young men in Homewood and East Hills. So, I have to at least try to find mentors for them, even if my efforts are futile. I can't stop now.

There are currently 24 men from my church who are mentoring young men in Homewood and East Hills. This, after four years of pushing as hard as I know how to push. That is out of a church with well over 1,000 men. I have at least 50 boys who are waiting for a mentor right now. Some may not know this, but I have actually stopped signing boys from my neighborhood up for a LAMP mentor from my church because I know that I do not have anyone to match them with. If I did sign any more kids up, they would probably have to wait in line behind some of the other boys who have been on the waiting list for two years now.

Young men in America are in crisis. My cousin, Jason, happened to be from the suburbs. The other young man I described happened to be from the inner city. Young men desperately need older men to step up and invest in them. Where are all of the older men in society? Where is the church? Sadly, I fear that the world has taken out many men to the point that they are caught up in addictions, or chasing after more money, or working too much, or living in whatever smaller story has been presented to them.

Many Christian men tell me that they will mentor "some day" when they are not so busy, or so focused on the pressures of their jobs and families. I wonder what Jesus has to say about that kind of thinking? When they stand before God one day, as we all will, will their excuse be, "Sorry God, I know you brought all of those young men in Homewood across the path of our church, but I was too busy. I was working hard... have you noticed how much money I left my family when I died?" I wonder how that one is going to go over? Men... it is time for us to step up! Where ever you live or what ever you are doing with your life, I will just say that the young men in our society need you more than you know. Don't wait. Now is the time to mentor a young person. Now is the time to give yourself away to others, not just to your own comforts or to your family. Your responsibilities in our world go much deeper than that.