The Blog That Rescued Me

Back in 2013, I found myself unsuccessful regarding locating any semblance of authentic community.  We were living in small town Mississippi where I'd taken a job.  Having left behind a handful of brotherly friendships that had subsequently whet my appetite here in Jackson, I was hopeful that God would lead me, despite our now rural circumstances, to relationships that might similarly invoke relational accountability.

Self-destructive behaviors / thought patterns ensued as I found myself feeling more and more isolated.  Eventually, it was my personal blog that served as a catalyst for my employer to start asking hard questions of me.

This personal blog was nonetheless a public journal which detailed my story post after post after post.  Hence, it had been reflecting the deep seated sense of isolation I was experiencing, and from there, served as a white flag for those who eventually took notice.

I began attending meetings of the Samson Society +/-1 year later in 2014.  Mr. Don Waller had initiated a group at First Baptist Church Jackson that had existed for about a year, and these men welcomed me with open arms.  Overnight, I now had a lifeboat, and I felt as if I could stop swimming out in the open water.

I had formally resigned my position which felt as if I had been the problem all along, but in reality it was the isolation that had made my situation unworkable for me.

Of all the fallout from that experience, the most heartbreaking anecdote had to do with our pastor.  Early on whilst settling into our new small town home, I made a point to reach out to him with my story (via my former blog), and then even six months beyond that, I asked specifically for counsel relative to my sense of isolation.  Despite my efforts, he chose not to respond which only served to darken my situation further.

One of my mantras has always been "Communication is a Key to Success".  Would it not have been for my former blog, I don't know how I would have managed to continue to tread water much farther into my family's future there within that lonely scenario.

Punk Drunk Love

Samson is undoubtedly the most culturally altruistic example of a man's man that Scripture contains.  He's firstly a loner with notoriety baked in via his Nazarite heritage, and from there, he's undoubtedly physically impressive with sexual bravado to spare.

Samson plows through as a type A persona.  Using the jawbones of animals or simply his seductive prowess to "get 'ur done".

During his time as a judge, the Israelites are way, way off track relative to their understanding of who they actually are.  Scripture explains that much clarity has been lost or simply was never passed down from previous generations.

Eventually Samson perishes, suffering tremendously at the end as he's captured and tortured prior to one final, cataclysmic, sacrificial close.

I would encourage you to read more about who this man was in Scripture.  It's an amazing story of a good guy gone bad, caught up in himself and his own desires 'till almost the very end.

You'll recall as well hearing of Delilah.  Her story intertwines with Samson.  Scripture details her tragic story as well.

And who said the Bible wasn't inspired by God - for adults?

Health, Safety, and Welfare

To become a licensed architect, one must obtain a degree in architecture from an accredited institution prior to enduring a 3 to 4 year internship before qualifying to sit for the architectural registration exam.  When I took the exam back in 1999, it consisted of 9 parts, most of which I passed over the course of +/-12 months.  From there, you’re eligible to obtain your state license to practice as an architect which means you can stamp construction documents and specifications for buildings (over 5,000 square feet) that you either design outright or oversee closely the design therein. 

From day one of starting on this journey, you’re taught that health, safety, and welfare of the public is your underlying goal as an architect, therefore buildings must meet building codes, be structurally sound, etc.  Architects are never tasked with putting their energies into creating structures that hinder or harm.  This goes against the very essence of what it means to be a “master builder” (archi-tect).

In many ways, the journey towards becoming an architect is not unlike the one every boy should make towards manhood with his primary goal being to always consider firstly health, safety, and welfare of those around him.

Men are servants.  Boys are boys.  If you look at Christ as he’s presented in the gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John), he’s the ultimate example of a man via his servitude to everyone he came in contact with.  He demonstrated this through his self-denial, teachings, and understanding of his overarching goal here on Earth. 

But, Christ was 100% God and 100% man.  We’re obviously missing the God part. 

Despite the fact that Christ was a perfect man, he relied heavily on a community of men (disciples) that traveled with him throughout his ministry on Earth.  Of course, much of what’s chronicled in the gospels related to this is him teaching them along the way.  It’s obvious that he could have struck out on his own, but how might his ministry here on Earth been different had he done so?

There’s no doubt that if Christ made community a priority, we should too.  Especially considering how we benefit from being reminded of our role as men.