Years ago, a friend and I started a men’s group. We had three simple rules: 1. You have to drink something. 2. You have to smoke something. 3. No small talk.

That group grew rapidly in numbers and in depth. It provided an opportunity for men to get beyond the usual Christian cliches and talk about their failures, their foibles and joys. We didn’t come together to exchange theological information; we came together to live it. And as we went, we discovered that living theology is messy. It produces tears. Anger. Grief. Sometimes shouting and a few bad words. And laughter, lots of laughter. It was a brotherhood few of us had tasted before.

Today, among the Doomsday Preppers, some of the rules are different. You don’t have to drink something or smoke something – though we highly recommend it. But definitely: no small talk. No sports. No politics. No pious platitudes. Just confession, celebration, and glasses raised around a life lived together.

Doomsday Preppers: Every third week of the month those with an XY chromosome combination get together at some local bar to talk about how hard it is to be a man in a woman’s world. To join the Doomsday Preppers whatsapp group contact KJ @ 016 287 3105 or Ps. Ian @ 012 364 7749.