Sometimes I wish the media would filter what they report. I wish I could just close my eyes or just keep scrolling and focus only on the cute stuff on social sites. Some articles are just too unbearable to even finish reading. Unfortunately, this was my case with an article I read about the torture an 8yr old boy named Gabriel Fernandez, suffered in the hands of his mother’s boyfriend and mother. It was one of the most horrific stories I have read. My stomach felt sick, my heart sunk, I cried, I was angry. How could they? I thought about his siblings, about the little boy’s agony and felt heartbroken. It was horrible.As tough as it was to read about little Gabriel, it was not as painful as knowing there was no male figure protecting him in his life. How much longer does society have to wait for men to get mad enough to take action and get into the battlefield of evil?
I have been a part of several volunteer events and for the most part, these events have more women than men volunteering. Church and school events usually have more women than men attending. Why? Where are the fathers, the grandpas, the uncles? Why aren’t men mad enough about this? If only I could look into the eyes of those men and say:
Be mad, men! Be mad enough to take action and fight against injustice, abuse, hunger, hate, violence, sexual harassment! Be mad enough to fight for the blessings God has given you. Be mad enough to defend the women in your life. Be mad enough to fight for a better tomorrow for your family. Be mad that another man is abusing your children. Be mad enough to fight against the negative influences at your children’s schools. Be mad enough to fight for your daughters and help them become leaders of their own decisions- not their boyfriends. Be mad enough to talk to your sons of how being disrespectful to girls is not acceptable in your fairly large rule book. Be mad enough to defend your wife against the sexual harassment she’s facing at work. Be mad enough to defend your grandmothers, mothers, sisters, daughters, and nieces, against that abusive alcoholic man. Be mad enough to fight that cancer with your loved one. Be mad enough to fight for what’s righteous and honorable. Be mad enough to fight dishonest behaviors. Be mad enough to fight against the addictions destroying you, your family, and your community. Be mad enough to protect what’s yours- your visions, your finances, your achievements. Be mad enough to make a respectable difference in the world. Be mad for the right reasons.
The world needs your strength and courage more than before. Take the lead. Leadership isn’t about power over others, that’s dictatorship- it’s about direction and influence. Be a positive influence to everyone you meet. Be encouraging, get involved. Rise up from that dormant attitude towards life. Show society your authority, power, and leadership in the battlefield of evil- not in the Spider-Man or Tinker Bell designed bedrooms or in the kitchen of your homes, that’s known as domestic abuse and you should be mad enough to fight against that as well. Stop turning on and off your “authority” switch to your convenience. Rise up, men, it’s really time.
Be mad, men, please.
Living Deliberately 