Cynicism has no integrity. Cynicism often properly evaluates the present, but it has no hope for the future. As Christians we are not without hope for the future. Christians believe in the possibility of the future. Our responsibility is to make a difference, not to drop out.
Recently a bright, young executive asked me to lunch. He opened the conversation by saying, "I serve on several Christian boards and have been invited to join two national ministry boards. But as a businessman I have become cynical at what I see. You have been in it all your life. How have you avoided cynicism?" I freely admitted that I have a certain amount of cynicism—I hope, healthy—I doubt that you can be in Christian service as long as I have without it. Nevertheless, I assured him that there is an antidote, which comes in two parts: Maintain your sense of humor. I have found that any human activity, whether in religion or not, contains the frailties of the race. To me, healthy humor eases the tension between where we are and where we ought to be. Too often in the most serious business of the kingdom, we act as clowns in the court. We play games, indulge in politics, defend our errors, deny our temptations. All of these situations can be a great source for humor. Sins garbed in ecclesiastical raiment are ridiculous. In such situations, it's much better to laugh than to cry or criticize.
At the risk of being thought irreverent, I will tell you about an experience in which you wouldn't expect to find humor, but I did. It was at my father's funeral, held in a large church with many local ministers in attendance. Officiating were the new minister coming into the church and the older, longtime pastor who was leaving. They were both great showmen, and the situation was too overpowering for them not to try to outshine each other. Shortly into the funeral, I wrote my brother a note: "Watch these two clowns outdo each other." One was known for his tremendous memory of Scripture. He reeled off passage after passage. The other, older man was a great orator, and coming after the young preacher, he preached in high style, causing the angels to fly off the ramparts of heaven. I wasn't offended, for I knew if my father could suddenly come alive, he would enjoy this as a delightful show; his Irish laugh would have been heard throughout the church. Both were men of fine spirit and sincerity who just got caught up in a situation that became a contest.
To become cynical would have been to deny the reality that was present — just a bit lost momentarily. As Christians, we have the responsibility to know the real from the counterfeit…the authentic from the bogus. Maturity allows us to assess without becoming unhealthily cynical. We never want to be remembered as the cynic who was defined as one who would ride through a sewer in a glass bottom boat. We are called to be realistic, but keep our minds centered on the truth of the higher things.
Overcoming Cynicism
The differences between cynicism and realistic evaluation of life situations.
By Fred Smith
