Virtuous masculinity

Earlier this week in California, a first-year, 16-year-old male lifeguard pulled a 10-year-old boy from a series of powerful waves that threatened his life. On a Santa Cruz shoreline, the surf unexpectedly turned violent while the boy was playing about 15 feet from the beach, according to reports.

The harrowing rescue, caught on video, showed the teenager gripping the boy from behind, guiding him through wave after wave and telling him when to hold his breath. Each time they neared safety, another wave pulled them back, until they finally neared the beach, where a second lifeguard and several bystanders helped finish the job.

The man who filmed the video told the Daily Mail that the teen didn’t hesitate when he saw the boy flailing, calling his courage to act “unbelievable.” The video has since gone viral, and the lifeguard has been invited by President Trump to the White House to receive a “high civilian honor” for his bravery.

There’s a reason so many feel compelled to share this scene of a young man extolling fearless skill in the face of emergency: We’re hungry for heroic masculinity too often missing in the West, a result of years of misplaced rage against so-called “toxic masculinity.”

For several decades, a feminist screed against male aggression, violence, entitlement, and emotional repression became a dominant cultural narrative. All men were demonized for the bad behavior of a few, with little distinction for how male strength, properly ordered, is a backbone of societal goodness and a reflection of God Himself. Femininity, properly lived out, fits this description too.

“Masculine traits are not intrinsically toxic; they are good when directed to virtuous ends,” writes Nancy Pearcey in her book, The Toxic War on Masculinity.

When we blame the sins of man on masculinity, a good and natural state created by God, we distract from the real problem: the sinful nature of all mankind.

Sexual abuse and unfounded violence are not “masculine”; they are sin. It’s true that men are more likely to commit these acts, but that’s a reflection of personal immorality portrayed through a man. To categorize these sins as part of God’s perfect order is wrong. Because we’ve told men for years that their natural inclinations for strength and courage are somehow intertwined with rage and abuse, we’ve weakened the pure, essential nature of men.

We see this decline across American life: falling military recruitment, less civic volunteerism, declining interest in the trades, and falling marriage rates.

Richard Reeves, president of the American Institute for Boys and Men, says many organizations “don’t have enough men stepping forward to serve,” in part because men today “do not feel ... that the community needs them,” resulting in detachment and despair.

When men lack purpose and understanding in their created nature, they shrivel. The West’s tendency to infantilize young people with participation trophies and emotional coddling into adulthood doesn’t help, creating weak men who look for someone else to do the saving.

I don’t think men want to be less masculine, but our society has forgotten how to cultivate or guide them toward the virtuous ends of their true nature. Weak, malformed parents are part of the problem too, unwilling to prepare their boys for the reality of manhood, which should mean sacrifice, courage, and character at all costs.

Some are scared to do so, given stories like that of Daniel Penny, the Marine arrested, charged, and tried after he accidentally killed Jordan Neely, a deranged man, while protecting fellow subway passengers. Witnesses testified Neely said he was ready to die and didn’t care if he went to jail. We need men willing to step into the gap without fear.

Perhaps, then, someone could have helped Iryna Zarutska, instead of walking by her as she bled to death in her seat. Or men could intervene when someone is attacked instead of pretending it’s someone else’s problem, something I see news stories about frequently.

Our culture has grown more cautious about power, physical force, and traditional authority, a caution that has helped expose real abuses. But seeing everything through a fear-based lens has made it harder to promote courage, responsibility, and self-sacrifice more comprehensively. 

The fact that millions of people shared the lifeguard video proves people are hungry for examples of heroism and physical strength, qualities still associated with positive masculinity.

How many men haven’t been trained in the virtues of masculinity? Haven’t been taught the biblical truth about who God created them to be: protectors, leaders, and men of character and strength? This lifeguard may not have learned these things from a Christian lens, but every good intuition and self-sacrificing intent comes from above. It’s time to remind men that their masculinity isn’t toxic but a beautiful conduit for God’s good work on Earth. Just watch that rescue video and be encouraged.