Hearing this for the first time, most men would say no: “I would never cry, real men don’t cry!” We are being programmed to believe that crying is for the weak. All the latest programs imply this. Just watch soap operas and American Idol – women always cry like Paula Abdul, but what about her men? Hollywood has found that tough men sell, just look at 50 cents and their killer new video game. The real question is is there a time or circumstance when a man’s crying would be acceptable or even expected? Actually, this is not just recent. It is also biblical and the greatest man in history even cried and no, he doesn’t have 50 cents.
In the Bible it speaks of the cry of men in almost every book. In Jeremiah 48:14 it says, “How do you say, ‘We are mighty and mighty for war? … 32 Oh vine of Sibma,
I will cry for you with the cry of Jazer. “In the revelations it is said in the description of hell:” there will be crying and gnashing of teeth. “There are numerous references to women crying and crying in the Bible, but there are also references to men crying and They are generally attributed to a great loss: Darius and the deathly ill child, numerous wars and struggles, even around the crucifixion of Jesus. But nowhere does it say that it is wrong for men to cry or cry.
In Luke chapter 19: 41-42 it says that Christ wept for Jerusalem. Here is a case where Christ felt sorry for the people of Jerusalem and actually wept for them. Regardless of the requirements we impose on humanity today, Jesus Christ was the supreme man, he was ridiculed and rejected for his pears from the beginning, he had no affinity for worldly goods (although Satan tried many times), he was threatened, beaten , spit. henceforth even crucified and never rescinded. What man today could endure a hundredth of what Jesus endured for all mankind?
If it was okay for Jesus to cry and not just in times of mourning, then it must be okay for the rest of humanity to cry or cry. We have seen men cry on September 11, 2001 when terrorists brought down the centers of world trade. We have seen men cry in movies like Sixth Sense and on TV shows like Dr. Phil and Oprah. But we don’t see them doing this in real everyday life. This is because we are programmed to think that we will be seen as weak, inferior, etc … Just look at the recent PlayStation games our young castables are playing: 50 Cent goes off on a savage slaughter, Simon looks down on everyone including Paula Abdul. with zero sympathy for American Idol, and in the Dukes of Hazard the laws are broken with reckless abandon and all is well when Daisy (Jessica Simpson) shows off some cleavage and her legs and smiles. It’s all over the Internet on Yahoo and Google; we’re more interested in 50 cents (44 million Google searches) than Jesus Christ (33 million Google searches).
There is something really wrong here. We need to change this as there are times when it is okay for men to cry and should not be seen as weaker, but rather compassionate, faithful, loving and sad, or in some cases even joyful (one can be happy enough to to cry and this is also mentioned in the Bible as Joseph’s father upon his son’s return). If Jesus Christ, arguably the greatest man to ever walk the earth (regardless of religion and faith) can cry and show compassion, grown men can too. Maybe that’s why women live longer.
