Brotherhood as the Missing Rite of Passage

Some men were initiated into manhood. Most of us weren’t.

We never had that moment—the one that said, You are a man now. Step into it. We just kept moving forward, hoping that at some point, it would click.

But it never really did.

The world tells us that manhood just happens when we turn 18, or when we hit certain milestones—first job, first car, marriage, fatherhood. But deep down, we know that’s not how it works.

We don’t need another achievement to feel like men. We need other men to call us forward. And more than that—we need Christ to define us first.

Brotherhood Restores What Was Lost

The ancient rites of passage weren’t just about a challenge—they were about witnesses. Older men stood around the younger and said, We see you. You have passed the test. You are one of us now.

That’s what covenant brotherhood does.

• It doesn’t leave a man to figure it out alone. It calls him up—through challenge, truth, and trust.

• It doesn’t measure him by worldly standards. It confirms what God already placed in him.

• It doesn’t let him sit in doubt. It names him as a man and holds him accountable to live as one.

But even brotherhood is incomplete without the One who created it.

Christ is the True Initiator

Before any man can call us forward, before we can walk in covenant with our brothers, we need to hear it from God Himself.

“You are my son.”

“You belong to Me.”

“Your manhood is not fragile—it is rooted in Me.”

Christ is the One who restores what was lost. But He doesn’t do it in isolation—He places us in brotherhood, because manhood was never meant to be lived alone.

It’s Not Too Late

Brotherhood is the road back to initiation. It’s not about recreating old rituals—it’s about stepping into a circle of men who won’t let you drift, won’t let you doubt, and won’t let you stay passive.

It’s about walking with men who challenge you, not to prove yourself, but because they already see the man God made you to be.

And once you have that? You do the same for another. Because manhood isn’t just about being called up. It’s about calling others up too.