In different cultures around the world, there is a rights of passage whereby a boy becomes a man.
The Jewish tradition saw the importance of this journey to manhood. The Bar (means Son) Mitzvah (means Commandment) ceremony marked a coming of age for a boy at the age of 13, as he traditionally entered puberty. The becoming a ‘Son of the Commandment’ ceremony is typically an ordinary Sabbath service in which the boy reads publicly from the Torah for the first time.
At this moment the boy became responsible for all of his actions and is able to be involved in all areas of Jewish life. He can own property, get married and must follow the 613 laws found in the Torah. The service is then followed by a celebratory meal and gifts. This Bar Mitzvah tradition is not biblical but appears in Jewish writings from the first century AD. And to this day, it remains a key part of Judaic culture.
How do we allow boys to become men? I think that we have an issue in the Church when we fail to educate, communicate and celebrate this journey into manhood. Perhaps that is why so many young men leave the Church and attempt to find their identity in other places.
ManMade is the new resource that we have been writing and piloting over the past year. The material is now ready to go to print and next year we will be launching it nationally!