crying Archives • Your Other Brothers

Coming Out at College

by Kevin Zimmerman | Sep 12, 2018 | Lifestories | 9

College held the hope for a fresh start. Home meant the weight of my double-life: the pain of lying about porn and “everything is okay” all the time; the great friendships that never felt deep or authentic enough for my broken self.

Singleness in a Silhouette

by Jacob Baranowski | Sep 4, 2018 | Lifestories | 25

We finished the day by taking silhouette pictures with the blazing orange-and-pink sky as our backdrop. My siblings lovingly kissed their spouses and lifted them up in the air as some of the most romantic and precious images I’d ever witnessed. I stayed to watch for a little while, knowing that no one would ask me if I wanted any pictures by myself. That would have been absurd, right? It didn’t take long for me to reach the end of what I could handle with my family. So, I ran away.

Why I Like “Queer Eye”

by Will Cooper | Jul 3, 2018 | Musings, Popular | 114

The vast majority of “Queer Eye” is not even addressing sex; it is addressing prejudice, shame, and loneliness. I have experienced shame, the idea that I am simply unlovable. I even believed for many years that God hated me, that God himself couldn’t even love me.

Unearthing the Courage to Love

by Kevin Zimmerman | Jun 22, 2018 | Lifestories | 11

These men, their stories showed me the courage to love. The courage to love family and friends, whether they understand, accept us, or not. The courage to love and trust God even in the midst of confusion and lies. The courage to love myself.

Our YOBBERS Retreat Was the Worst

by Thomas Mark Zuniga | Jun 11, 2018 | Manly Monday, Video | 6

In this episode of MANLY MONDAY, I process our recently held YOBBERS retreat — including my favorite element and my least favorite aspect of 47 dudes from all over the world uniting in a single place. What was great about our retreat, and what was just awful about it? I have much to say about our emotional weekend together and life’s mountaintop moments at large.

Optimism!

by Eugene Heffron | Jun 5, 2018 | Lifestories | 36

The slog of waking up to my drab mundane life takes a sharp turn for the better, and I am suddenly filled with hope and optimism. The world is not so scary anymore. How on earth did I live without this hope before? I attended this year’s YOBBERS retreat, and my mind is spinning over what I just saw and experienced.

Where I Fill My Deepest Hunger

by Jacob Baranowski | Apr 25, 2018 | Lifestories | 28

Most of my life, I’ve thought of faith mainly as a decision based on knowing some facts about God. Instead, faith is about coming to Jesus in such a way that the deepest hungers and thirsts of our souls are satisfied in him.

When Grief Tests a Friendship

by Marshall | Apr 11, 2018 | Lifestories | 25

He wanted me to be a man, to be tough, emotionally disciplined and not giving in to my grief. After all, we should consider ourselves like soldiers in battle who can’t afford to stop and grieve when someone dies. I couldn’t fully process everything at the time, but you can imagine how I felt as a sensitive guy.

My Straight Friend Won’t Touch Me

by Eugene Heffron | Apr 6, 2018 | Lifestories | 33

He was never physically affectionate; we’d never even hugged. I wanted to touch him not out of a sexual desire but from a longing to connect with him as love with a brother. I dreamed of a day when we could embrace and confess our brotherly love for each other. I put my hand on his shoulder once. He brushed it off.