I was a bit alarmed when I recently Googled “christmas gifts for men” and saw the result from a few online stores. Guys must be hard to shop for, evidenced by the alternately humorous and sad gift ideas that came up, like a hockey stick ice scraper or an f-bomb paperweight. I was a bit alarmed at how many gifts pertained to alcohol, sports and barbecuing. It seems that the 21st century dad is better known for tailgating than trailblazing.
This got me to thinking about my gender and the holidays and what is and isn’t right in male-dom. As I see it, there are three kinds of men that are closely related to Christmas. Two of them I am sure most of you are familiar with, while the third one may only need a bit of explanation if you don’t happen to have a brother, cousin, son or male friend under the age of thirty.
The sheep grazer in the Christmas story is the shepherd. He can be described as hard-working and faithful, prepared to defend the young and proficient at caring for the sick and weak. Where could the shepherds be found that fateful night that the angels came to announce the Messiah’s birth looking for some free publicity? Where they always were and should have been - loyal on the job in spite of the long hours and lingering cold. Neither afraid to break a sweat or sweat the small stuff, the sheep grazer finds fulfillment in making a commitment and keeping it.
The narrative’s stargazer is the wise man. More than a guy with his head in the clouds, the magi was someone who was a visionary. This type of man is not afraid to take risks. His vision of what lies in the heavens dictates the path he will doggedly follow on earth. The wise man is the one who seeks to spend his time and riches pursuing honor, who can’t be misled by deceivers, and is willing to pay whatever price is necessary to achieve his destiny, even if that future includes leaving the comforts of home and country.
The video gamer may not be a part of the traditional Christmas tale, but he is definitely a character in the modern one. Peruse any of the big box stores’ ads this season and you will see that a large part of their advertising space is taken up with video games, consoles, tv screens, bluetooth headphones and sound systems all designed to ensure that a generation of young men have the latest, most realistic and most comfortable game playing experience possible.
Even a small portion of the global video gaming industry’s 163 billion dollar global video gaming revenue can make someone very rich this Christmas. Companies like Microsoft and Nintendo will rake in astronomical profits made off of the billions of hours wasted by young men entrenched in front of their HD plasma screens. Christmas has become Commerce-mas, and nothing makes the cash registers hum like a whole generation of boys addicted to the hard work of expertly manipulating a joystick and the thrill of being a make-believe hero.
We have too many video gamers and not enough victory gainers. Stargazers who will not be AWOL in fantasy land but will use their thirst for adventure and transcendence to make epic journeys out of their lives in pursuit of excellence. Sheep grazers who willingly make lifelong commitments to serve others in face to face, flesh and blood relationships, not virtual ones lived out from the safety of the couch and hidden behind an avatar. There is a dearth of young men on the mission field, on the worship team, and in the prayer room. And I know where a large number of them can be found.
But my prayer this Christmas is that their hearts and imaginations will be inspired anew by the majesty and realism of a story where a son leaves his place of comfort and privilege and risks everything to save the day and give his all. Jesus is the ultimate male role model. May a whole new generation aspire to be the true men of Christmas.