On Cynicism

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Cynicism is the self-protective posture that keeps us ‘safe’ by dismissing everything and refusing to believe or trust or hope.  Its only function: deconstruct and undermine and question and destroy and keep everything and everyone at a distance, investing in nothing that matters beyond ourselves.

             

And here’s the deal: ask a cynic why or how they got to be so cynical and you know what? Just about everything they say is true. The world is a mess. People do take advantage of you. There is a ton of corruption and greed and exploitation and insecurity in the world—that’s part of what’s so alluring about this cynical position

I have at various points done serious battle with this cynical voice: I’ve battled cynicism about the world or people or institutions and at some key points I’ve battled some serious cynicism about Christianity

At one particularly dark and cynical time in my life, it struck me that my cynicism was very limited and confining and small.  It could only undermine, question, doubt, and negate things, it could never build anything that was beautiful, good, strong, enduring, and wonderful

And as I thought about that more, I sensed an invitation from God to become cynical about my cynicism. Because if I was actually consistently cynical, it could only destroy, undermine, and take away everything that truly mattered to me about my life: my marriage, my kids lives, every relationship, any work I ever did

Cynicism had zero ability to build up or create or help anyone or anything to actually flourish or make anything or anyone beautiful, good, more alive or more free or real. 

And so I became cynical about my cynicism’s ability to deliver anything other than a miserable life. In biblical terms, I repented of my cynicism and asked God to replace it with something much better: faith, hope, love, wisdom and courage. 

It’s not that hard to be a cynic.  For some reason in our culture we have elevated the cynic as the sophisticated ones—but how hard is it really to just doubt and mock and dismiss everyone and everything?

Cynics aren’t that sophisticated or that smart, they’re just scared!

If you know that the inner cynic inside of you is the one running the show in your heart and in your life, I want to invite you to join with me in becoming cynical about your cynicism. And to replace it instead with the good news of a God who is greater than your giants, greater than all your fears, and who invites you into a better way to live, HIS way of living this life.

You and I need to do this work because cynics will never do anything meaningful in this world like feed hungry kids or tackle major problems on our planet.  Only courageous people can do that. Only loving people can do that. Only persevering people can do that. 

And you and I need to do this work, because a cynic will never be a great mom or dad or friend or manager or boss or employee.  To do all of those well require a different skillset than the cynic can offer or bring, a different set of eyes and a different kind of a heart

And most importantly, you and I need to do some of the work to disarm the cynic because ultimately it is just about impossible for the cynic to ever make the life-changing, life-giving connection with the God of the universe

Because cynicism can only undermine, put off, deconstruct, and push away.  And what Jesus shows us about God is that God is all about pretty much the exact opposite of all of that: God is about drawing near, engaging, re-building, investing, giving of himself to a broken and weary world to make it right, new, well again

We worship with joy and gratitude because God is not a cynic. He is love. That’s who God is and it’s who he’s inviting us to become.

Too Nerdy For Sunday Morning Consumption

So on Sunday we're looking at a story of King David before he becomes king.  At one point he has an opportunity to kill the reigning king, King Saul, to take his 'rightful' place as king of Israel. He decides not to do so, citing the fact that Saul is still "the Lord's anointed." 

If the Lord's anointing on him is his ground for assuming the kingship, he will not trespass the Lord in reaching for the kingship.  The Lord's anointing is his raison d'etre (I've always wanted to use that phrase, never quite sure I knew what it meant. I think I got it right.)

So I was going to use this illustration ons Sunday, but it's too nerdy for general consumption. This is why you have a blog!

Here's the illustration


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When I was in college I did a little bit of study around post-modern literary theory and philosophy--I think I understood some of it, I’m kind of nerdy but this was super-nerdy stuff, beyond my nerd-dom

But one of the core tenants of post-modernity was that we’re all so stuck inside our own heads that real actual communication and understanding was pretty much impossible

That you might have got something you want to say to me but I’ve got so much noise inside my head and my own preconceptions and assumptions and frameworks that really there’s no way I can ever fully understand or connect with you

And so these philosophers would write these long books talking about communication was impossible

They’d write long books. Full of long words. Trying to communicate how it was impossible to communicate and words were useless.

They’d write books and hold lectures. Using words to talk about how we can never understand each other using words

And this is why most of you have never heard much of post-modern literary theory, at least that version of it. It never took off, it never caught traction more broadly

In part because it had within it this ridiculously self-destructive, self-undermining characteristic to it—you can’t use words to say that words don’t work, that undermines any authority you might have had.

This is why David doesn't kill Saul, even when he has the chance to do so. If his authority is going to come from the Lord, then he cannot and will not undermine that authority by going against the Lord's anointed.  The Lord will dispose of Saul when the Lord decides it is time. David, meanwhile, will wait, even though it will cost him many, many more miles of heartache and running and seemingly wasted time.