Time magazine has an interesting article in the February 13, 2006 edition on “Acceptance and Commitment Theory.” This new model of psychotherapy, popularized by psychologist Steven Hayes, posits that the solution to the difficulty of life is to detach oneself from our negative experiences. When we feel badly, and think negatively about ourselves, we are not to interrogate that experience and question why we are going through it. Instead, we are to detach ourselves from the experience, to square with... Read more

There is a form of sinfulness that is muted and not often talked about. At least, it’s not often talked about in terms of its comprehensiveness. There is a lifestyle of sin that is very different from those we typically think of–the rebellious teenager, the irresponsible twentysomething, the money-hungry middle ager. This lifestyle is quiet and subtle, yet it is no less dishonoring or terrible than any other. It is a lifestyle I will call “suburban rebellion.” Suburban rebellion manifests... Read more

Christianity is not prudery. On the other hand, it is not untempered revelry. Rather, it is a celebration. The people of the way celebrate all the Creator’s gifts. Included in those gifts is a little exeriential jewel we like to call romance. Romance is the cultivation and expression of love with a person of the opposite sex. It is made for marriage but is felt before it. In romance, God allows us to experience a taste of the love He... Read more

Most people are aware of the culture’s fascination with sex. Particularly in the younger generation, sex is the measure of all romantic engagement, the essence of all others-directed passion. That’s well documented. What isn’t often talked about is the death of romance. I am here to say firsthand as a member of Generation Z or Y or whatever it is currently called that the culture has stamped out the fire of romance for my generation. Because sex is so accessible,... Read more

It is an excellent thing to learn to overcome adversity. One of the best places to learn this lesson is in the context of an athletic team. Sports teams inevitably have their ups and downs. It is natural to fail often in sports. So it is frequently necessary to pick oneself up after failure and soldier on. When others depend on you, voluntary failure is much tougher to come by. The child who plays a sport on an athletic team... Read more

Sports gives the modern man the opportunity to learn lessons he would have learned on an entirely different field. Though the stakes are drastically reduced, one can still learn the value of teamwork on the athletic field. There are numerous reasons athletic teamwork is quite valuable. The first is that one steps out of one’s individuality in being part of a team. We are naturally individualistic, pursuing our own, disdaining others for our good. In team sports, it is entirely... Read more

It used to be that a man learned manhood through competition. You might be thinking, “hey, people still compete.” That is correct. But I’m talking about competition at its essence: for survival. If you grew up in the Middle Ages, or the age of Revolution in Europe, or the Wild West, you competed to live. The closest thing most American men have to this reality is located on a court or field. For most, sports has replaced war as the... Read more

In the final post on self-examination, we look at two possible outcomes of the practice. Many will examine their lives and see no need for change. The twentysomethings who see no need for change at this point unknowingly chart a course for the rest of their lives. Amoral college students grow up to be amoral parents. Those who dislike the restrictions of moral absolutes when twenty will pass on such a disinclination to their children. Is it any wonder today’s... Read more

The second key question of self-examination is this: what am I living for? Why am I doing what I am doing? What is the purpose of all this? This question is a world-crasher. If answered with an honest tongue, it exposes the thoughts and intents of the heart. I suspect that many of my generation who live a hedonistic, self-destructive lifestyle have in fact asked this question of themselves. That may be a bit surprising, but I think there’s a... Read more

So few people will actually take the time to examine their lives. This is a tragedy. Those who do so, and who leave room for faith, place themselves in a position to escape the viciousness of this world. It is a dark and sinister voice that encouragesus to bludgeon our consciences, sublimate our common sense, and cast off our disposition to absolutes. We all hear such a whisper. Only those who reject it will prosper. That is quite a claim... Read more