The ToB Gang is a group of young professional men and women who meet once a month for an afternoon discussion on the teachings of St John Paul II the Great regarding the deepest meaning of life and love made visible in the body. A typical session lasts 4 hours and, no, we don’t get bored…it’s addictive. For us it’s an avenue to discover ourselves through meaningful conversations which we have over bitings and drinks. We brainstorm about man and woman, the meaning of our bodies, why we have different gender roles, love, both spousal and celibate...
ToB is the popular title given to 129 of St. John Paul IIs Wednesday audience messages from 1979 to 1984. In these talks, he not only offers a captivating explanation of marital love and sexual ethics, he explains ToB as the tangible explanation of God revealing man to himself.
The gang survived time conflicts and busy schedules to have ten sessions in 2019. We young people are searching for love and meaning in our lives. Regardless of our backgrounds and interests, our careers and social status, we all seem to have a limitless appetite for practical idealism and love. ToB offers a guide that will help us fulfil these noble desires.
When corona confined us to our houses, one of the ToB gang members suggested we move the discussion online. We had the pleasure of having Damon Owens, an international speaker and evangelist for over 20 years, and founder and executive director of joytob, break down the teachings of ToB. He elaborated on St. JP II’s vision to give the world a guide to human sexuality in a language it would understand. ToB reconnects men and women with their dignity and original purpose; through it we are offered an adequate anthropology, a full explanation of ourselves. It was as if we were hearing about ToB for the first time all over again. The Gang and their friends will tell you it was well worth the 2hrs!
When I think of ToB and our Gang, I think of the meaningful conversations that I enjoy and that people need to keep having over and over. I think of forging friendships with different people I’ve met through it. I joyfully look to the next session of revealing myself to me and to others.
For Kiprop, one of the ToB gang members, the best thing about ToB is that every session offers a chance to learn from others based on the views they share after watching the videos and exchanging points of reflection. He recalls a friend he once brought along for ToB who afterwards noted he had never seen Catholic men and women who don’t have it figured out but are brainstorming about this Christ, this God whom they are passionate about.
For him, it's a unique forum that allows Catholic men and women to passionately brainstorm about tough yet necessary topics that need to be discussed as a large number of young men are drowning in these issues with seemingly no outlet.
“Oh and lastly as a guy, when you get to interact with women who are pursuing God, it raises your bar when searching for the kind of a woman to marry…”
For more on this virtual conference, click here.