Several decades ago, officials at Kruger National Park in South Africa encountered a problem. Their efforts to bring their elephant population back from the brink of extinction had been so successful that they began to experience problems with overpopulation. Their solution was simple: they relocated elephants from their herds to other preserves. The transplanted pachyderms were primarily young males and adult females, due to the fact that the adult male bull elephants were simply too large to transport easily. However, rangers in the reserves that received the transplants began to encounter problems. The newcomers were extremely aggressive, frequently goring and trampling other animals like rhinos. These behaviors are virtually unheard of in elephant populations and rapidly became a problem for the preserves. After investigating the unusual behaviors, park managers came to the conclusion that the young males were the culprits and that the attacks were a result of the broken social hierarchy. Young males naturally become more aggressive during mating seasons. In a normal herd, the adult bulls keep the young bulls from becoming overly aggressive by teaching them to behave appropriately. Without adult males to guide them into adulthood, the young bulls destroyed and created chaos. I first encountered this story while reading about adolescent males and struggles they experience as a result of growing up without their fathers.
In the western world today, we are witnessing a phenomenon that is quite unique in the history of humanity. Nearly 25% of all young men are being raised in households with no father or father figure. Unfortunately, boys raised in homes without a father are statistically more likely to wind up in poverty, experience behavioral problems, wind up in prison, develop drug and alcohol problems, drop out of school, and so much more. Young men learn to be men from their father. Without a dad around, they learn from peers, pop culture, and other sources that are less than ideal.
I am not writing this to attack, shame, judge, or criticize anyone. There is absolutely no value in doing so. Rather, as we observe Father’s Day this year, it is important to understand the value of fathers and the impact they make on the lives of their sons. Dads need to be appreciated, supported, and encouraged. Our culture has downplayed the importance of men in the home for decades. It is important that our culture change its treatment of fathers.
Regarding boys without dads, this is a problem where communities can make a real impact on the future. Churches, teachers, coaches, neighbors, and other men can invest in boys and offer guidance. This requires men to be proactive and invest in the lives of young people in their communities. I would argue that this is part of how followers of Christ are to live. God refers to Himself in the Bible as a Father to the fatherless. If we are going to imitate His character and live our lives as men after His own heart, then we must care for those He puts in our path. Practically, we cannot be fathers to everyone. However, we can offer attention, advice, encouragement, time, and care to those God puts in our path.
