This week’s “thought” speaks to an outlook on life that has become extremely prevalent in western society. It’s called cynicism. And despite attempts to keep it out, whatever is prevalent in society will eventually find its way into the church and affect the hearts and lives of the people in it. It often creeps into our lives so slowly that we fail to realize it has us in its clutches until we are captive to its inevitable fruits. Often people do not realize it until they notice their joy, hope, and ability to trust have weakened or seemingly disappeared. Or they wonder where their passion for life went, why they feel so emotionally numb, and why their prayer life has dwindled down to almost nothing.
If you, or someone you know, has noticed this sad digression occurring, then I hope you find some helpful insights in this selection from Paul E. Miller’s book, “A Praying Life – Connecting With God in a Distracting World.” If you’ve lost your zest for life (or prayer), and don’t know why, read on as he lays out some of the possible causes. And if you desire to find the cure, you may want to pick up a copy of his book, since today's thought is the diagnosis, the chapter following (chapter 11) is the cure. Enjoy.
“The opposite of a childlike spirit is a cynical spirit. Cynicism is, increasingly, the dominant spirit of our age. Personally, it is my greatest struggle in prayer. If I get an answer to prayer, sometimes I’ll think, ‘It would have happened anyway.’ Other times I’ll try to pray but wonder if it makes any difference… Cynicism and defeated weariness have this in common: They both question the active goodness of God on our behalf. Left unchallenged, their low-level doubt opens the door for bigger doubt. They’ve lost their childlike spirit and thus are unable to move toward their heavenly Father. When I say that cynicism is the spirit of our age, I mean it is an influence, a tone that permeates our culture, one of the master temptations of our age. By reflecting on cynicism and defeated weariness, we are meditating on the last petition of the Lord’s Prayer: ‘Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from the evil one.’
Cynicism is so pervasive that, at times, it feels like a presence… Since the Fall, evil feels omnipresent, making cynicism an easy sell. Because cynicism sees what is ‘really going on,’ it feels real, authentic. That gives cynicism an elite status since authenticity is one of the last remaining public virtues in our culture. I shared these reflections on cynicism with Cathie, a friend who was struggling with cynicism. She reflected on her own heart, saying: ‘Cynicism is taught in our schools, embraced by our culture, and lifted up as ideal. It seems insidious to me. Somehow these dulled partial truths often feel more real to me than the truths taught by Scripture. It is easier for me to feel skepticism and nothing than to feel deep passion. So, cynicism takes root and ‘feels’ more real to me than truth. I know that I am not alone in my struggle with cynicism. But most of us are not aware that it is a problem, or that it is taking hold in our hearts. It just feels like we can’t find the joy in things, like we are too aware to trust or hope.’
Cathie’s insights are on target. Cynicism creates a numbness toward life. Cynicism begins with the wry assurance that everyone has an angle. Behind every silver lining is a cloud. The cynic is always observing, critiquing, but never engaged, loving, and hoping… To be cynical is to be distant. While offering a false intimacy of being ‘in the know,’ cynicism actually destroys intimacy. It leads to a creeping bitterness that can deaden and even destroy the spirit… Cynicism begins, oddly enough, with too much of the wrong kind of faith, with naïve optimism or foolish confidence. At first glance, genuine faith and naïve optimism appear identical since both foster confidence and hope. But the similarity is only surface deep. Genuine faith comes from knowing my heavenly Father loves, enjoys, and cares for me. Naïve optimism is groundless. It is childlike trust without the loving Father.
No culture is more optimistic than ours. America’s can-do spirit comes from the Judeo-Christian confidence in the goodness of God acting on our behalf. Knowing that the Good Shepherd is watching and protecting me gives me courage to go through the valley of the shadow of death. Even in the presence of my enemies, I can enjoy a rich feast because God is with me. Faith in God leads to can-do boldness and daring action, the hallmarks of Western civilization. Yet, in the nineteenth century that optimism shifted its foundation from the goodness of God to the goodness of humanity. Faith became an end in itself. President Roosevelt rallied the nation during the Great Depression by calling people to have faith in faith. In the Sound of Music Julie Andrews sang about having confidence in confidence itself. Disneyland, the icon of naïve optimism, promises we’ll find Prince Charming and live happily ever after. But optimism rooted in the goodness of people collapses when it confronts the dark side of life…
Shattered optimism sets us up for the fall into defeated weariness and, eventually, cynicism. You’d think it would leave us less optimistic, but we humans don’t do neutral well. We go from seeing the bright side of everything to seeing the dark side of everything. We feel betrayed by life. As my friend Cathie observed in her own life, ‘I make the jump from optimism to darkness so quickly because I am not grounded in a deep, abiding faith that God is in the matter, no matter what the matter is. I am looking for pleasant results, not deeper realities.’ This movement from naïve optimism to cynicism is the new American journey. In naïve optimism we don’t need to pray because everything is under control, everything is possible. In cynicism we can’t pray, because everything is out of control, little is possible.”
It's hard to deny that cynicism has captured the hearts of many in our culture. What Miller describes above is where many people are indeed at. It was a slow process, but one that many find themselves wrestling with. For as he rightly points out, “Cynicism is the air we breathe,” or if not being the totality of the air we breathe, it’s at least a good portion of it. And the remedy he offers is also correct: “Our only hope is to follow Jesus as He leads us out of cynicism.” That’s the material he covers in the very next chapter of his book, which for lack of space I could not include.
Yet hopefully – just seeing how cynicism works – will help you if you have fallen prey to it. For the first step in healing is to realize what you are dealing with and what brought you to the place you are at. And once that’s identified, admit it, confess it, repent of it, and seek the ever-present help of God’s grace. You may also want to pick up a copy of his book – for reconnecting with God through prayer is essential to reversing the effects of one who has fallen prey to cynicism.
In the Bonds of our Common Struggle to Abide in Jesus, Pastor Jeff
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