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Whether it’s out in the world or within the Church, cynicism has a way of creeping into the way we think through our own hopes and expectations.
“If the Bible was still being written, I feel like Mr. Rogers would be a new apostle,” my friend said to my brother and I as we left the theater.
What my friend was referring to was the showing of the 2018 documentary, Won’t You Be My Neighbor. There wasn’t a dry eye that I could see in the mostly-full, local theater as the crowd sat in silence, admiring the life and career of children entertainer and educator, Fred Rogers.
My friend, brother, and I––along with the rest of our showing’s attendance––were all moved by the philanthropic acts of kindness, gentleness, and humility that was Fred Rogers. I would come to find this emotional response to be quite the phenomenon across audiences. Whether it was my parents, friends, coworkers or significant-other, everyone I knew was impacted by the story of a man called to serve with integrity and love.
What is it about the personality of a children’s program whose story is able to move so many adults to tears?
The documentary shows how “Mr. Rogers” cared deeply about children’s feelings, no matter their backgrounds or struggles. Fred Rogers reminded kids with disabilities that they’re worthy of love, showed racial unity during a time of segregation, taught children hard lessons such as death or divorce, and even addressed children’s fear and anxieties. It was Roger’s ultimate goal to preserve the innocence of children, taking them seriously, teaching life lessons, valuing their education, and reminding them that they are loved and not alone –– that we’re all each other’s “neighbor.”
What made Fred Rogers particularly special was that in everything he did, he did with sincerity. What I believe to be the reason so many people are moved to tears by the documentary of Rogers’ life is, in his sincerity, Fred Rogers fought against the cynicism of the world.
In today’s blog, I am going to discuss the topic of cynicism, how it might affect us, and why it’s important for pastors to teach on overcoming cynicism.
Fred Rogers’ ministry was centered around the well intentions of genuine concern for the upbringing of future generations. However, the children’s television host was not impervious to public scrutiny.
Mr. Rogers over the years has been considered creepy by some, thought to be putting on a facade, and often satirized or parodied by comedic acts such as Saturday Night Live. These parodies often made fun of Rogers’ wholesome and sincere nature, often contrasting it with dark and mature topics.
While some jokes may simply come from a place of jest or flattery, there’s no denying that human nature has developed a tendency for cynicism in the presence of sincerity.
Even though Cynicism is a concept that originated from ancient Greek philosophy, modern cynicism can be glaringly apparent in today’s world.
The Greek philosophy of Cynicism differs a bit from what we understand it to be today. According to Tobias Weaver of Orion Philosophy: at Cynicism’s core, it's the belief that we’re all “reasoning animals.” Because we’re “reasoning animals,” the philosophy argues that our purpose in life is to: “(...) decide right from wrong, live with virtue, live in alignment with the laws of nature, and live ascetically while rejecting the social convention that conflicts with any of this.”
Where Weaver would say that ancient Cynicism was a general ideology, supported by a “lineage of teachers and students,” walkertwebb of health and education organization, Moosmosis, further explains “modern cynicism” to be “associated with disengagement, apathy, and defeatism” –– that it’s “seen as the optimist’s opposite.”
It seems that as the philosophy passed through a historical game of telephone, this idea of people as “reasoning animals” has skewed toward the Merriam-Webster Dictionary’s definition of “cynical” as:
As contributing writer of The Atlantic, Arthur C. Brooks, simply puts it: “The modern cynic rejects things out of hand (‘This is stupid’), while the ancient cynic simply withholds judgment (‘This may be right or wrong’).”
To answer such a complex question broadly, we can look at some of the key attributes in today’s world.
Cynicism comes in varying degrees of personality and perception. I’m not here to claim that everyone in the world has turned into a defined cynic. A generally cynical person can still love everything Taylor Swift does, while a generally optimistic person might feel the opposite about the pop superstar.
However, there does seem to be a relatable feeling of cynicism in the world around grand topics, whether it’s surrounding politics, social media, the economy, global issues, environmentalism, societal values, or even just our fellow neighbors who may share a different opinion on any of these topics. Much like the anxieties many of us feel in modern society, these heavy issues weigh on us daily and begin to affect the way we think.
As the world becomes more interconnected through mass media and communication, the easier it is to become aware of how rapidly things change. As things begin to change in ways that seem challenging, out of our control, or are downright disappointing, people start to become cynical. In other words: that politician “who could really make a change” isn’t elected, that person isn't being genuine and “only follows trends,” or people are doing “too much” or “too little” to support a cause.
In my experience, there’s cynicism even within the Church.
I’ve had many friends and have met many fellow Christians who’ve experienced “church-hurt.” These friends were hurt within churches by being taken advantage of, experiencing abuses of power, feelings of estrangement, finding offense in political stances, or the way issues were addressed. Because of this hurt, friends and fellow Christians had developed a cynical skepticism toward the Church. While some have been able to heal, others still battle that cynicism.
Whether it’s out in the world or within the Church, cynicism has a way of creeping into the way we think through our own hopes and expectations.
As we put our trust into the things of the world, consciously or subconsciously, we may be let down time and time again as these things change.
Thankfully, we worship an unchanging God. In this time of change in the world, breeding daily cynicism toward structures of power (and even toward each other), pastors have the opportunity to remind the congregation of why we must ultimately put our faith in God.
The Bible is full of people feeling levels of cynicism and doubt, from the Jewish people of the Old and New Testament yearning for the re-establishment of Jerusalem, Ecclesiastes’ ponderings on the meaning of life, and the disciples disheartenment of Jesus’ death before the resurrection. Though it’s in these moments that we’re also reminded of Jesus meeting Peter in the storm: uttering the words “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.” And when we begin to lose faith, falling into the storm, crying out “Lord, save me!” He’s there to tell us, “You of little faith, why did you doubt?” (Matthew 14:22-33).
Cynicism can be a hard message to tackle, especially if you as a pastor also feel weary from the world.
With the help of sermon preparation tools, pastors now have an easy way of generating effective sermon outlines, prompting verses and Bible stories on the topic of cynicism, creating character studies and even coming up with modern day examples of Biblical stories.
We see as people and the world often begin to un-align with our expectations, preferences or personal values, we can start to become distrusting and disdainful. When feeling this way, it’s important to be like Mr. Rogers. In spite of the troubles of the times and the cynicism of the world, Fred Rogers faithfully served God in his ministry to support, educate, love, and unite children and families with sincerity. Preaching on how we can overcome cynicism, being equipped with God’s word, faithfully trusting in Him, and living as God calls us to––we can perhaps spread the kind of joy and have an impact on people the way Fred Rogers did.
