Chapter 6 is titled, A Transcendent Cause.
The chapter starts off talking about the battle of of Peleliu in 1944. It is a battle that many historians have declared irrelevant. Talking about how hard this was for the veterans to be relegated as irrelevant. Talking about how men have to have a point in their life, a transcendent cause.
Next the author talks about the conventional vision of manhood, with five celebrated characteristics.
1. It paints a one-dimensional picture, equating manhood with a “position.”
2. His value is earned; therefore he becomes highly competitive.
3. Success is the goal – often at the expense of one’s marriage, one’s children, and meaningful, close relationships.
4. The reward of conventional manhood is power, chiefly in the marketplace.
5. If a man becomes successful in this plan, he enjoys personal wealth and affluence.
Then the author wraps this up with a pretty good paragraph:
The problem with this conventional model of manhood is not that it is wrong, but that it is incomplete. As a part of life, there is nothing wrong with pursuing a career and success and all the trappings (minus the concubines!) that go with it. The problem is in thinking this is all of life when, in fact, it is only a part.
The bigger part is having a transcendent cause. A transcendent cause is defined as having three characteristics:
* Truly heroic
* Timeless
* Supremely Meaningful
However we as parents have not been giving our sons this, which I think is summed up best with the following statement:
We give our sons good things, but not the best things.
Next the author went to share a personal story between a friend and a stranger on an airplane. The stranger shared a lot of his story and the friend saw how this guy had a burden for his failures as a father and then he asked the stranger if his dad ever said he was proud of you. The stranger said no, so then the friend went on to tell him what is good about him by his story. The stranger wiped a tear from his eye. Now what makes this story interesting was the day I read this for the first time I went to a men’s group meeting and around the end of the meeting a fellow guy there basically said the same to me. Meant a lot to me to hear those words of affirmation. Which also is a theme to this book, that we need that affirmation and we need to GIVE that affirmation to others. Not to be afraid to cheer on our fellow men.
Finally the chapter wraps up with why Jesus is that transcendent cause.
1. Jesus Christ is truly heroic.
2. Jesus Christ is timeless.
3. Jesus Christ is supremely meaningful.
Overall a very good chapter to read.
[Initially Written: 3.1.2009]
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