An End to Cynicism. Third Sunday of Advent. Dec. 11 2011

Preached by Rev. James Murray at Dominion-Chalmers United Church

The pastor of a church spotted a kitten that had climbed up a tree in his backyard. The little kitten was afraid to come down. The pastor coaxed, offered warm milk, but the cat would not come down. The tree was not sturdy enough to climb, so the pastor decided that if he tied a rope to his car and pulled it until the tree bent down, then he could reach up and get the kitten.  As he pulled the rope with his car, it was almost bent right over when the rope broke. Without the rope, the tree went 'boing!' and the kitten instantly sailed through the air - out of sight. The pastor felt terrible. He walked all over the neighborhood asking people if they'd seen a little kitten. Nobody had seen it.  So he prayed, 'Lord, I just ask you to keep this little kitten safe.'  A few days later he was at the grocery store, and met one of his church members. He happened to look into her shopping cart and was amazed to see cat food. This woman was a cat hater and everyone knew it, so he asked her, 'Why are you buying cat food when you hate cats so much?' She replied, 'You won't believe this, but my daughter has been begging me to get her a cat. A few days ago I told her that if God gives you a cat, I'll let you keep it.’  She told the pastor, ' My daughter immediately went out in to the yard, got on her knees, and asked God for a cat. And really, Pastor, you won't believe this, but I saw it with my own eyes. A kitten suddenly came flying out of the blue sky, with its paws outspread, and it landed right in her lap.'

When a person of faith hears this story, they laugh. They think it is a delightful story which shows how God does provide, and God does work in mysterious ways. A cynic hears this story and sneers. The cynic thinks how foolish they all are. How we look at the world affects how we live in the world. Is the glass half full, or is it half empty? Our outlook affects what we believe is possible, and it influences what we are going to do in the future. A person of faith believes God is at work in our lives, seeking the good for us all. A person of faith  doesn’t repay evil with evil, but always seeks to do good in all situations. (1^st Thess 5:15) A cynic is someone who reads bitter lessons from the past, and is prematurely disappointed in the future.

Cynicism is critical thinking which has lost its sense of hope or trust in others. We need healthy critical thinking in order to make good choices. We also need hope and trust if we are going to change anything in the future.  A cynic will tell you that they are really nothing more than a well-informed optimist.  The only thing a cynic believes in is Murphy’s Law. Murphy’s Law tells us that “Anything that can go wrong, will go wrong.”  A cynic believes people are motivated purely by self-interest rather than acting for honorable or unselfish reasons.  Cynicism can turn us to the dark side of life. It’s been said that a cynic is someone who knows the price of everything and the value of nothing. A cynic is a person who, when they smell flowers, looks for a coffin.

The truth is, you can’t build a hopeful tomorrow with cynicism.  Negative energy cannot heal.  Anger is a form of power, but it cannot create anything new. Hatred can only destroy.  A cynical outlook is a form of discouragement. It is an act of separation between the individual and the world.  A cynic does not trust anything.  We all have our cynical moments. We doubt something will work. We know that government plan is a bad idea. But is the presence of a bad idea sufficient cause for us to give up? To abandon caring for others? To believe that change is no longer possible? When we can see how God is present in every moment of our lives, that is a source of great strength. When we see how God works for the best possible outcome in every situation, that is a cause for hope.

When we see how God does not give up on the world, even when we turn against his son, Jesus Christ, we know that things can be different.  Like the Prophet Isaiah says, when God’s spirit is with us, we are able to bring good news to the poor, to bind up the broken-hearted, to proclaim release for captives,       and liberation for prisoners,  to comfort all who mourn,  to share the oil of joy in place of mourning, and offer a mantle of praise in place of discouragement. (Isaiah 61:1-3)

When we experience God’s power in this way, we know change is possible because God is doing it. When we experience God’s power in this way, we are filled with joy because we know hope exists. But there are those among us who do not feel hopeful. There are those among us who feel any change will result in them losing something precious.  Their faith cautions them to be careful. They respond to new ideas with critical questions. What about us?  Critical questions must always be asked.

Saint Paul offers us these words of wisdom. Paul says “Do not quench the Spirit. Do not despise the words of the prophets. But do test everything.  Do hold fast to what is good. And be sure to abstain from all kind of evil.” (1^st Thess 5:19-21) If someone has the joy of God in them, do ask good questions. Test what is being suggested. But do not rain on their spirit just because you don’t feel the joy yourself.  Encourage them to grow in faith, to go forward to the places you cannot go yourself.

When the Jewish council of the Sanhedrin met to discuss how they should handle the upstart Christian movement, the great rabbi Gamaliel told them to “Let them go! If their plan or activity is of human origin, it will end in ruin.  If it originates with God, you won’t be able to stop them.” (Acts 5:38)  When it comes to figuring out what God is doing in the world, we are wise to listen to the advice of Gamaliel. It is foolish of us to assume that we know everything God is capable of doing. And when the joy of God is in a person’s heart, they will shine in a way that we can never put a damper on them.

We need to stop the ‘paralysis of analysis’.  Like the federal government, we can study any problem till the cows come home. But studying the report on the commission who studied whether to analyse the situation will not solve life’s problems.  As people of faith in this modern age, we need to put an end to cynicism. We need to stop doubting that God is at work, that God does new things,  that God does provide. Great things are possible with God. Lives can be transformed. Communities can be enriched. Cities can thrive when we share the gospel.

It is easy to hide behind the mask of the cynic who questions everything, but who has an answer for nothing. It is much harder to be a person of faith who humbly reaches out to the hurting, the lost, the poor, the broken-hearted and offer them your hand. Jesus talked of our need to die to our sense of self. We also need to die to our cynicism, our doubts and our fears.  We need to shed the false humility which prevents us from giving of ourselves to others in their time of need.

At this time of year a familiar cry encourages us to ‘Keep Christ in Christmas’. It is an important message. But Christ will not be at the heart of Christmas if we are only focussed on the external symbols of having Christmas trees in public spaces. Christ will not be at the heart of Christmas if we are only engaged in a war over what to call these holidays. Christ will only be at the heart of Christmas when we decide to act like Christ. To act like Christians. To be people of faith who seek to heal, to bless, to redeem, to comfort the people of this world. When we let the light of Christ shine like this, no darkness will ever be able to put such a light out. Will you let your life reflect the joy of Christ this Christmas? Will you let your light shine for all to see?

“Preach the gospel always, if necessary, use words.” Saint Francis of Assisi.