Pastor Bell's Words To Live By

There are many views about the role of men in society. In years gone by men were seen as the hunter gatherer and the leader in the home. With the advent of modernity, post modernity, generation X and post generation X, the role of the male has become somewhat blurred and non plus. What do I mean by this? The promotion and push for equality has taken precedence over the construction and reconstruction of the created order. This in no way means that I am advocating male domination or encouraging people to be misogynists.  On the contrary I am advocating a biblical approach to the pivotal role that the male plays in the ordering, disciplining and development within the home first. As the father it is the responsibility of the man to organise the worship in the home, i.e. he must operate as the priest in the home. It is also his responsibility to organise the discipline in the home. Contrary to our post-colonial understanding of discipline, this about training and teaching, in particular boys and adolescents to become men.   The role of the modern man is neither of these. Similarly the role of those men, who were emasculated during the period of the Trans-Atlantic slave trade, is totally confused.

The effects of slavery on our Black men is an ongoing cause for concern, as generation to generation continue to perpetuate the curse that the English horse breeder, Willie Lynch put on us. let us look at some of the effects of this.

A large number of Black men are still producing off-springs with several women.

Many fail to see the need to have monogamous relationships

Many fail to understand their mandate

Many have bought into the ‘short-term’ live for now tomorrow we die mantra

Still many do not leave any sort of legacy for the children they produce

The curse of illegitimacy is perpetuated as boys progenate without having the tools to deal with the outcome.

The only way to break this curse and deal with the fallout, is to be delivered by coming under the umbrella that is Jesus and embarking on a programme that flushes out old notions of manhood, insignificance, worthlessness and short-termism, from the minds of those affected. The process can only be started when we make ourselves vulnerable as the apostle Paul reminds us in his letter to the Philippians in chapter 2:1-11. Please read this and meditate on it.