Written by Jonathan Maxwell
I’ve always been a generally happy person. I grew up in a loving family in a middle class suburb of Detroit and, while employment was sometimes a problem for one of my parents, we never went without what we needed. I had a happy childhood full of cross-country vacations, Tigers baseball and an abundance of friends. I say this to preface something that’s been on my mind lately, and that is that even though I’ve been blessed with a good life thus far I now find myself unhappy with some aspects of my life and the biggest reason I can think of for this is cynicism.
This was a topic in chapel just the other day, and this may seem like a broken record, but I couldn’t help but realize just how much the topic has been on my mind lately. I’ve noticed myself saying negative things that questioned the motives or background of others only to later find that these words or displays were genuine in their delivery. I have become well accustomed to the taste of my own foot. I’ve come to realize, though, that I can be cynical without opening my mouth, and I’m just as unhappy as I am when I do. So what’s going on? Why do I find myself unhappy with some things in life? It’s all about my attitude, and I know that I’m not alone.
While talking to several other students this semester, I’ve found that many have shared my distrust of others and seem as equally jaded as myself, if not more so. We’re unsure of what we want to do once we graduate. We don’t know what to think of our political leaders. I’ve even heard the phrase, “I’m trying to be less cynical about chapel this year,” from several people, which suggests that some even harbor a certain amount of distrust toward Harding and its community. It would seem that we have reached a point in our culture where we would rather look on everything and everyone with suspicion or hostility rather than evaluate the real value they have to offer.
Through these past four years I have met some of my closest and dearest friends and shared incredible experiences with them that I would never have known if it were not for this university. I have grown spiritually, whether through Bible classes, devotionals or while studying at HUG. In short, I have experienced life in ways that many in this world don’t, and when I think with this perspective I can’t help but realize how blessed I am. In this light I see that my cynicism is unhealthy and it blinds me to the blessings that daily surround me.
While Bruce McLarty delivered an excellent message on this topic last week, I have to be honest and say that the man who really got me to think about the effect cynicism has had on my life was a man who has made a career out of reaching the college-age demographic through the television set, Conan O’Brien. In the midst of losing his dream job through what many consider a raw deal, he left his post with grace and dignity, offering words of wisdom that have helped him through his career, probably now more than ever. “All I ask of you, especially young people … is one thing. Please don’t be cynical.”
In closing, I offer these thoughts for you to take or leave on your own volition. I can only change my point of view and in the end we are held accountable for ourselves. I may not always like my circumstances, but I can still choose to live my life trusting that I have a just and loving God who sees far more than I do. That God wants me to live a life of sacrifice and love and the apostle Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 13 that, “Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.” Given the choice between cynicism and love, I choose love.
