Tag: cynicism

  • Seeing & Believing

    Seeing & Believing

    When we find John the Baptist imprisoned, we may be tempted to settle on his doubt. But doubt isn’t his problem. He’s already convinced.

  • This Got Me Thinking About Our Society

    This Got Me Thinking About Our Society

    Cynicism is destructive. And it’s turning our society into something we don’t want. But solutions are all around us. We just need to listen to the voices which help us see them. Listening to podcasts is like research. Most of the time, you get what you expect and it informs your worldview. But then there…

  • ‘Scratch any cynic…’

    ‘Scratch any cynic…’

    We often talk about the fatalism of our character. Or who we’ve become because of our experience. But there’s a beauty in this thought: “Scratch any cynic and you will find a disappointed idealist.” -George Carlin That we might actually see what’s underneath. What’s still there. Idealism never left. It got turned toward something else.…

  • Ghettoed Suffering: a Reflection on World AIDS Day

    I drove across town to Maple Avenue United Methodist Church. It was dark, cold; the streets were wet. I was running late, but thankfully it started late. The room was nowhere near full. But it was diverse. Wide variety in ages, including college students and some much older. There was also ethnic and gender diversity.…

  • Why The Walking Dead Is Not As Cynical As You Are

    Why The Walking Dead Is Not As Cynical As You Are

    or The Gospel According to The Walking Dead [NOTE: Some series and season 5 spoilers follow.] It seems as if The Walking Dead brings out the most cynical side of us. It shouldn’t surprise me that a show about the post-apocalyptic world of zombie infestation would tread regularly into the hopelessness of nihilism. This was particularly true…