Ponderings. . .
 
When did it become considered mature to be cynical? We look at life and we devalue anything magical or joyous. We look behind the curtain to see all the secrets, we try to bring people "down to Earth." We are satisfied with functional relationships at the expense of the rapture of love. We deconstruct our greatest  myths and legends in order to make them more "realistic." We distrust everyone, we're pessimistic about everything, we try not to get our hopes up about life.
 
What's worse, we look down on those who still see magic in the world. We look at kids and remark how naive they are. If someone dreams big we snicker and think about how their lofty ambitions will never be realistic enough to be fulfilled. If something bad happens, it's expected. If something good happens, we tell ourselves just to wait because the other shoe will soon drop.
 
I realize that's the result of living. I understand life is tough and many of us have been scarred by life. I understand that because I have plenty of my own scars. But it just seems like it's admitting defeat to lose those romantic, magical, adventurous parts of our lives that believe in something bigger, more wonderful, more incomprehensible than ourselves.
 
It's Christians who I have the hardest time accepting as being cynical. If our hope is truly in a God who is bigger than anything ever created, if we are truly, as the book of Romans says, "more than conquerors," than why should we be cynical? If God works everything for the good of those who love Him (Romans again) than why should we be pessimistic? We should be able to look even at the things that make us weep and take joy in the fact that they are working a glory we can't even imagine.
 
I'm not saying that we shouldn't cry when we hurt, scream when we're angry, or even cower when we're afraid. Just the opposite. We need to have those reactions, because that is part of living. Cynicism is when we put aside our emotion just to avoid the pain. We deal with it as expected. When we live lives for the joy of the cross, we cry and weep when we see the effects of a fallen world. But we still hope for the glory of Christ and we still have that anticipation that one day God will restore everything.
 
I stumbled over this song by Rich Mullins today. Hadn't heard it in years, but it perfectly fits what I'm writing about, probably even better than I could ever say.
 
Growing Young
 
I've gone so far from my home
I've seen the world and I have known
 So many secrets I wish now I did not know
'Cause they have crept into my heart They have left it cold and dark
 And bleeding
 Bleeding and falling apart

 And everybody used to tell me big boys don't cry
Well I've been around enough to know that that was the lie
 That held back the tears in the eyes of a thousand prodigal sons
Well we are children no more we have sinned and grown old
And our Father still waits and He watches down the road
To see the crying boys come running back to His arms
 And be growing young
 Growing young

I've seen silver turn to dross
 Seen the very best there ever was
And I'll tell you it ain't worth what it costs
And I remember my father's house
 What I wouldn't give right now
Just to see him and hear him tell me that he loves me so much

And everybody used to tell me big boys don't cry
Well I've been around enough to know that that was the lie
That held back the tears in the eyes of a thousand prodigal sons
 Well we are children no more we have sinned and grown old
And our Father still waits and He watches down the road
To see the crying boys come running back to His arms

And when I thought that I was all alone
It was your voice I heard calling me back home
And I wonder now Lord What it was that made me wait so long
 And what kept You waiting for me all that time
 Was Your love stronger than my foolish pride
 Will You take me back now take me back and let me be Your child

'Cause I've been broken now I've been saved
 I've learned to cry and I've learned how to pray
 And I'm learning I'm learning even I can be changed

And everybody used to tell me big boys don't cry
Well I've been around enough to know that that was the lie
 That held back the tears in the eyes of a thousand prodigal sons
Well we are children no more we have sinned and grown old
And our Father still waits and He watches down the road
 To see the crying boys come running back to His arms
 And be growing young Growing young Growing young"

C-Dubbs, Out!