Remember the Tom Hanks movie Castaway? It’s about an executive whose plane crashes into the Pacific Ocean as he’s on his way to unclog a shipping artery in some remote part of the world. Chuck Noland, played by Hanks, survives the crash. He’s miraculously washed ashore on to a deserted Pacific island where he spends five years in utter isolation, losing touch with his loved ones and forever changing the course of his life.
For many men, this sounds uncomfortably familiar. The lack of communication and connection among men has created, metaphorically speaking, a culture of spiritual castaways. Men who are disconnected, living separately from other men, although working, living, and serving alongside each other. They are missing the power of connection.
This is isolation, a dilemma not just experienced by men who do not have a faith in Christ, but is also experienced by Christian men. Today, more than perhaps any other time in history, American men feel emotionally and relationally isolated. They are connected by technology and most have friends and lead busy lives, but are missing truly being known by other men. Connected to one another in a deep and meaningful way where they are challenged to live the life that God created them to live.
Every man feels, deep down, a longing to be known, loved, and valued as a friend by other men. Men want and need close friends, but the inability to be vulnerable with each other creates isolation. Men who wouldn’t think twice about risking in business or sports have enormous difficulty taking risks to expose what’s inside their souls.
How about you? Do you feel like you are on an island separated from love and care? Are you settling for false connection? Are you fearful of being fully known? These are questions that only you can answer and seek the answer for a fully connected life. One that has relationships that call you to a better life, a life of meaningful relationships and purpose.
Before your ‘plane‘ crashes and you become a castaway, reach out for help. You have so much to offer your part of the world. God created you to experience connection and for His purposes! Proverbs says it so well “Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another“. (27:17 ESV) And the Apostle Paul’s final instructions to Timothy can be your encouragement, “you are a man of God; so run from all these evil things. Pursue righteousness and a godly life, along with faith, love, perseverance, and gentleness. Fight the good fight for the true faith. Hold tightly to the eternal life to which God has called you, which you have declared so well before many witnesses. And I charge you before God, who gives life to all, and before Christ Jesus who gave a good testimony before Pontius Pilate, that you obey this command without wavering. Then no one can find fault with you from now until our Lord Jesus Christ comes again.” (1 Timothy 6:11-14 NLT)
