Where are our men and boys?

The Rev. Mark Christmas wrote this pastoral letter on MCCA Men Lord's Day, February 22 and I found it fit to post it on the blog with his permission, of course.

Today, we celebrate MCCA Men. Who is a MCCA man? All males who are 18 years or older. You would have read in your bulletins of the Inaugural MCCA Men's Assembly to be held in Jamaica in April. The Assembly forms the first step towards the formalization of MCCA Men as an umbrella organization for all men's group in the Connexion.
With the formation of MCCA Men, it will give greater voice to the specific interests and issues affecting the male membership of our churches. MCCA Men will not only make resources available to men but allow men to be the resources as well, enabling the work among men and boys.
Every year we are faced with challenges that affect men and boys, challenges that are physical, social, cultural, economical, religious and political, to name a few. There are some challenges that are common to men and women alike and there are challenges that are unique to men. There are challenges that are common to men universally, there are challenges that are common to men in the Bahamas as a whole and there are challenges that are unique to Andros.
The challenge of space and identity stems from the concept that "outside" is for boys and "inside" is for girls. As long as the girl is inside the "yard", she is fine, but the "road" or the "street" belongs to the boys. It is common then, for the "boys" to hang out on the "street corner" or around the bars or shops to 'lime', drink, smoke, chat, quarrel, fight, plan, watch passers-by or verbally harass the young women. It is what gives the male his identity or so it seems. To remain "inside", as a male, is to run the risk of being branded as a "sissy". If the male then identifies with the "outside", should the church then, move to the outside as well-beyond the four walls? Perhaps we should start by listening to Christ and to the men and boys, identify with them and all Christ to transform us into what he would want us to be and to do.