In
my last post, I talked of the importance of culture and religion in
developing men, the modern West as to a system encouraging the
development of Peter Pans, and the Islamic system as to a system that
prompts the development of men into Predators. Now, however, I would
like to focus on the positive male characteristic: the Protector. As
Supertradmum has noted often, the Protector is rare in our world
today. There are very few of this type of men left, and it is a duty
for all men, I feel, to grow by the grace of God into a Protector and
bring good to the world. I had the wonderful opportunity in my life
of knowing a Protector, and it is from this experience that I would
like to flesh out an image of this type of man, as a goal to work
toward, as it is for me, or as a filter to discern other men by.
The
man that I knew and loved is my great-uncle, now quite elderly. I
have not had many years with him, but I still have gotten quite the
impression of him, and when I was a child my mother would tell me
stories about him. He grew up in a good, Christian home, of Norwegian
descent and in a small town. Born of two very devout Christians, he
was raised with the values of hard work, duty, virtue, honor, and
integrity. He lived them out throughout his life, marrying and having
three children, and raising them to love God and neighbor. All three
model him to this day, and are good people with their own children,
and grandchildren. He is the type of man who always worked hard and
reaped the benefit of this work by always having more than enough
money for a comfortable life. He is the type of man who would walk up
to a family member he hadn’t seen in many years, and say to him, “I
expect great things of you,” as he did for me when I was young. He
is the type of man who has shepherded and been the strength of his
wife for twelve and going on thirteen years, through the throes of
Alzheimers, visiting her every day to feed her, pray with her, and be
with her. He is the type of man who spontaneously and generously
gives money to family and friends for a meal or for ice cream, as he
did with his young nieces and nephews, and would help anyone in need
at any time. He is to this day a pillar and a foundation of his
family, a patriarch, and an intercessor, living to see his
great-grandchildren growing strong in Christ and supporting
generations of people under him like rings on such a great family
tree. This is my dream, and this is the type of life that is
well-lived as a man. He isn’t perfect, but he models the devout
Christian life of a Protector, filled with virtue and duty. He is an
inspiration to me, and hopefully he is to you as well, as we all find
our way to more fully fit, as a key in a lock, into that place in
Christ’s Sacred Heart carved out for us from eternity. JonathanCatholic