Coco and the Pastor- Bringing the Faith
mrjimmyneutronFaith can come in very surprising, disparate forms. Last weekend, I witnessed a call to faith from two very different kinds of messengers, united by the shared desire to decrease cynicism among their respective audiences. The speakers- Conan O’Brien, and “Pastor Dan”, the head of one of the born-again churches that are increasing their presence in our area. While in their own way, both of their messages are commendable, I still feel the need to preface this praise with “while in their own way.” The reason for this, like, duh, is my protective layer of cynicism.
There is a very big difference between belonging to a religion and being religious, with seemingly most young adults tending towards the former. I am a lifelong Catholic- I attend mass most Sundays, and I receive penance every so often; my wife and I were married in a church, and our son is baptized. I even have a few priests in my extended Irish-Catholic family. Between my lifetime of attendance at Catholic schools and my continual participation, I fit the fairly rare bill of active 25-40 year old churchgoer. And yet, if I were asked whether or not I consider myself “religious”, I would reflexively respond “no.” This seemingly contradictory response is a subtle form of prejudice, and I believe it is a pretty common one.
When Jesse Ventura (or was it Stalin?) called religion the opiate of the masses, how many of us disagreed? When President Obama made the slight on western PA residents, basically lumping religion with guns and xenophobia as things the desperate cling to, we tsk-tsk’d plenty, but did we honestly disagree? It is a funny kind of duality- practicing religious people looking condescendingly at others who are, well, religious.
Which makes me think that maybe it’s not religion that most of the mainstream society and I are cynical towards, but religious fervor. Wearing a cross- that’s fashion. Jesus tattoos- they’re tough and rugged. Hell, Boondock Saints gained a substantial cult following, and that was a film about killing in the name of Old Testament-style God. But talking, really talking about religion, well, Kanye said it, “But if I talk about God my album won’t get played.”
Which brings me back again to Conan and the Pastor (now that would be a comeback show). On Sunday morning, I attended the “dedication” of my cousin’s son to an Assembly of God in Chester County. The service had all the facets one would expect after reading about megachurches in the magazines- multi-media presentation, lavish musical numbers, and several “Can I get an amens!” The thing is, the parishioners answered. Every time, and with conviction. After the first 90 minutes, I was more than ready to head to the community center for lunch, but the regular members weren’t checking their watches; I honestly think they could have happily stayed for another few hours.
That night, I caught Conan’s final show online. His closing words could just as easily have fit in the day’s sermon:
"All I ask of you, especially young people . . . is one thing. Please don't be cynical. I hate cynicism -- it's my least favorite quality and it doesn't lead anywhere. Nobody in life gets exactly what they thought they were going to get. But if you work really hard and you're kind, amazing things will happen. I'm telling you, amazing things will happen."
Don’t worry, I haven’t drunk the Kool-Aid. I’m still a fairly content Irish Catholic. But it was interesting, for a day, to see two audiences, full of fervor and devoid of cynicism, showing faith like they mean it.
Reader Comments (2)
Interesting read. I too consider myself a cynic and am proud to do so. I am genuinely uncertain why so many perceive cynics as a danger to society. Cynical, by definition, is to be contemptuously distrustful of the motives of others. By this definition, all people are cynics, and rightfully so. However, it is what one does with that cynicism that defines character. If one uses this distrust to become apathetic, that is cowardly, but if one uses it to challenge convention, question policy, and vocally decry the inevitable failings of public officials, then cynicism is a virtue. Newspapers use to do this, and on occasion, still do. Furthermore, isn't it possible to be cynical in one realm and not in another? I don't trust most of government, but I believe in my family and friends. I have little faith in the institution of education, but I know myself and my colleagues are doing all we can hold back the tide of failure and education.
I had a discussion with a good friend of mine last week and when I told him I consider myself a cynic, he refused to believe and told me I'm not. I was offended, contemptuous and even distrustful of his opinion, and will probably be in the future. How's that for cynicism?
Thanks for the late lunch!
I liked the way you put the two together. It made for a good personal essay that illustrated a universal truth. I feel this type is the best form of essay writing because it can show wit, be aware of an audience, and allows for personal insight. It is as if the writer is writing for his audience as much as himself.
There are times where cynicism heads into the insane. Though religion is probably where cynics should remain, unless they again try to repeat and continue the division and pain in the world they talk about healing. Religion is a personal journey. It is quest to find one's place in the universe. It is not the journey to find one's place in a church. A religion and church are good things because they are vehicles to truth that help us remove ourselves from modern society, reflect on traditions, and connect with our past and community usually by doing an overt good. Religion in the US is volunteer, unless you are a politician, sorry a little cynic snuck out, and provides the individual with control.
I am more enamoured with religion as I get older. I do not feel burdened by the rules or requests, because it has become an individual choice. My goal is to improve myself and find meaning. My goal is to be prepared with answers when tragedies come. My goal is to offer some sort of comfort and meaning to my children when tragedy comes to them. Regardless of belief, it is an order, a system, with answers. To be able to take the good of these systems and leave the bad based on your own experience is for me, religion in America.
Thanks for the idea and good essay.