Impact Detroit Magazine Impact Detroit Magazine 2013 | Page 46

Adam Where Art Thou?

By Dwayne Thomas, M.S. MPA

Genesis 3:9 records God asking
the question – Adam Where Art
Thou? God knew where Adam
was but wanted to know where
was his heart. Where was his
commitment? Where was he in
relationship with Him? Today
thousands of years later God is
asking the same question to the
men of this nation, state, city and
certainly the men of Phi Beta
Sigma Fraternity, Inc.; Adam
where art thou? Many of us have
asked a similar question of
ourselves. If not this question
many of us have silently asked
these questions: What is
manhood? Chronologically I am
what society says is a man but –
What is a man? No man ever
took time to teach me anything
about manhood therefore I find
myself a boy trapped in an
oversized body. The little boy in
me wants to grow up but doesn’t
know how. Now I am married
but – What is marriage? What I
saw in my family was certainly
dysfunctional and as a result
most of the marriages ended in
divorce. I now have children but
ask myself – What is a father?
Dad was never home. He was
always in the street and/or
working long hours to
“ameliorate” my life. I am told
now I have to provide for my
children, but What is a provider?

and the chaos of life I find God. I
join the local church and as a
member of the church I am told it
is perfectly okay to show
emotion but isn’t that a sign of
weakness? Moreover I am now
called a Man of God but I am
still struggling with the original
question of What is a Man. My
brother, I feel your pain.
Certainly, these and many other
questions I have had. What about
our boys and young men? Do we
allow them to have these same
questions?

[It came to pass after these
things, that one told Joseph,
Behold thy father is sick: and he
took with him his two sons,
Manasseh and Ephraim. And one
told Jacob, and said behold, thy
son Joseph cometh unto thee: and
Isreal strengthened himself, and
sat upon the bed. Now the eyes
of Isreal were dim for age, so that
he could not see. And he brought
them near unto him; and he
kissed them. And Isreal stretched
out his right hand, and laid it
upon Ephraim’s head, who was
the younger, and his left hand
upon Manasseh’s head. (Genesis
48: 1-14)]. These scriptures note
the passing of the blessing from a
father to his son. Jacob was on
his death bed when Joseph came
to him with his sons so that Jacob
might bless them. In doing so he
Through all of these questions prophesied their identity – Father

to son. Men who grow up
without their father grow up not
knowing their name thus their
identity is often lost. Every man
needs an identity and although
mothers can encourage, its dad
who gives identity. Jacob refused
to die until he could lay his hands
on his sons and grandsons and
tell them who they were and
destined to do.
A few years ago I read a column
about Elephants in Africa. The
writer noted an over crowding
problem in South Africa’s
National Park. As a result the
managers of the park decided to
kill some of the elephants while
relocating most of the fathers. In
doing so violence and chaos
became the norm as too many of
the baby elephants were left to
fend for themselves. In
conclusion without the nurturing
guidance and love of their father
many did not know what to do,
who they were and where they
were going. After noticing the
chaos the managers returned all
of the separated elephants and
peace was restored.
Boys raised without fathers or
some kind of positive manhood
example according to most
psychiatrist, are far more likely
to express their masculinity and
frustrations violently. They
further become the victims to
negative webs of street culture.