A Bedrock Value: We Can Do It!
"This country wasn't built on cynicism. It was built on a can-do attitude. One shouldn't complain about the way things are unless one is willing to try to make a difference."--Frankie Sue Del Papa, Nevada Attorney General
In a world of humans who are sinners and where philosophers speak of “man’s inhumanity to man,” I guess it’s not surprising that people tend to focus on the bad side of things. People are more interested in reading the bad things that happen, so news is typically dark. In general, people listen to dirt, the gossip that tells of people’s mistakes and failings, the seamier the better. In particular, those of a more leftist perspective tend to be more negative and humorless in their view of the world; the more traditional and conservative seem to be a bit more positive and upbeat. Yet, being negative is so common, as to be nearly universal. On the negative side, the tendency is to find twisted humor in the bad things that happen to other people; the other side, people are more often able to laugh at themselves, where humor has a healing effect.
I was a small town pastor for nearly 10 years. I have a vivid memory of the old geezers at the local greasy spoon, complaining about the state of things. My predecessor actually boasted that he was “on the job every day,” at one of those tables. Personally, I never wanted any part of that. The Old Testament records that the Israelites grumbled and complained, and it cost an entire generation their chance to enter the “Land of Milk and Honey.” In Romans, chapter 1, Paul indicates that ingratitude is “the first and worst of sins,” as I like to put it. In other words, you risk losing what you don’t appreciate, what you take for granted, or anything you assume as your right or a fact of life.
I have the misfortune of being a “melancholy optimist.” I think I can change the world, make a difference, and see that things will generally work out, except for myself. At that, I never stop trying to make things better, and I believe it is possible to do so. For most things, my glass is “half full.” I generally have a good sense of humor, and, when I’m “on,” I can be pretty funny, too, making even heavy subjects easier to contemplate.
Regrettably, not everyone thinks that way or even wants things to be better. Some people seem to relish finding the dark side of things and even twisting what is good into something bad. It reminds me of a roommate who could find a sexual innuendo in the most innocent things I said. Michael Medved speaks to that when he writes about a recent New York Times article on the supposed decline of marriage. Of course, their data is misinterpreted and intentionally distorted, but there’s nothing new about that. For some, the goal is showing how bad things are in the traditional view of things in order to promote the anti-traditional alternative.
What do we say about traditional, conservative people who are always expecting the worst? I didn’t grow up among fundamentalists, but I spent my college and seminary years in their company. I believe in the fundamentals of the Christian faith, which is the appropriate way to use the word, not like today when people use it as synonymous with radical or extreme. However, despite my agreement with those basic Christian ideas, I have always been troubled by the pessimism of their “end times” beliefs. Jesus and the New Testament have too much hope to justify such a hopeless outlook. The world and its people may be corrupted by sin, but Jesus came to overcome the world, to save sinners, and make us "more than conquerors."
Recently, I heard Rush Limbaugh read from an email that said it so plainly. America is the best place in the world. We are rich, have so many choices, and enjoy so many remarkable things, yet people complain, think things are bad, and have no perspective on life here compared to the rest of the world. Yes, even here, people suffer tragedy, lose their livelihoods, and face insurmountable obstacles, but most of us have it really, really good! I have been tutoring refugees from places like Sudan, Honduras, Afghanistan, Somalia, and Myanmar (formerly Burma). They have faced the loss of their families, war, slavery, starvation, disease, corruption, murder, and persecution. They really have something to complain about, yet they can be some of the sweetest, most optimistic people I have met.
Why is the United States so well off? Luck? Some nay-sayers believe or at least pontificate that it's an accident of birth or the rich stealing from the poor. Nonsense! America is the greatest nation that has ever existed on this planet because of the rugged individualism, freedom, and a belief that we can do anything if we set our minds to it and get it done. We have been a nation of doers, overcomers, and visionaries who set out to fulfill their dreams and did. Negativity, whining and complaining, being victims, or turning everyone else into a victim class didn't make this nation great, and it will not preserve its greatness.
Sometimes I get bogged down by exhaustion, circumstances, or significant set-backs. I get discouraged and lose my motivation to move ahead. I imagine most people do, at times. I can understand a country or a people doing the same thing. We can become "war weary," although this current war hasn't come close to reaching the extent of weariness of World War II or the Civil War. I pray it never does, but the threat of terrorism and radical Islam suggest we have a long fight ahead. Those who want to quit, already, are an embarrasment to our heritage of victory and greatness. Doug Giles, in his book The Bulldog Attitude, calls people like that "poodles," more interested in their own comfort than in winning the fights that create true success.
A "can-do attitude" is a bedrock American value. It is also a Christian value for "with God, all things are possible." In understanding American history, God's providence should not be disregarded. The world looked at the former colonies, following the Revolutionary War, and scoffed at their prospects. Yet they had the optimism to forge ahead despite the doubters abroad, and they prevailed. We must do the same today, against another set of scoffers abroad, with God as our sustainer, provider, and source of wisdom. We can do it, whatever seemingly impossible challenge we face--terrorism, war, economic uncertainty, security and immigration fears, drugs, whatever.
What about all that negativity? Here's a few thoughts. 1) Don't listen or watch too much network news, and turn it off when it gets too discouraging. You'll never miss, but you will find you feel a great deal better. 2) Be a skeptic when you hear how bad things are. Often those reports are dishonest, distorted, and disingenuous, and the reporters are offering their agenda-driven opinions. The days of objective reporting of news are long past with a few notable exceptions. 3) Avoid friends who whine, complain, and criticize. Men who constantly talk about how bad women are or women who generalize about the short-coming of men will only make it harder for you to have good relationships with men or women. 4) Recognize that gossip is gossip whether your talking about your friends or listening to so-called celebrity news. We love to hear the dirt, but it's hard to see clearly when you eyes are filled with grit and grime. That stuff leaves a bad taste behind. The world will look, sound, smell, feel, and taste better with less garbage in the mix. 5) Get enough rest. For some reason, we seem to think we have to work hard, play hard, and neglect the time it takes to recharge our batteries. I'm a night owl, and I can even resent my friends who won't stay up and play. 6) Take time, quality and quantity of time, for people. Rest charges one kind of batteries. Positive involvements with people charge our emotional batteries, and we need that. 7) Read good books including the Bible. Reading charges your intellectual batteries as well as your imagination, so read fiction and non-fiction, great books and the books you simply enjoy. We cannot always escape to Fiji or Hawaii, but we can escape into those places and many others in the world of literature. TV and movies don't come close to measuring up, and I say that as a lifetime viewer. Fortunately, I am also a lifetime reader.
On that last point, books will give us a far greater perspective on the world, events, and issues that any reporter's sound bite or even the greatest thinkers commentary. As a peacemaker, I learned that there is always at least two sides to every situation. Our fast-pace lives have created a form of instant information that cannot really inform us, at all. Someone once suggested that the best way to read newspapers was to save them for a week or a month or so, then read only those things that were still worth reading. Much of news and commentary is not only dated quickly but irrelevant just as quickly. News is often created just to satisfy the need by media and public for immediacy. Unfortunately, the result is just as often discouraging, dispiriting, and untrustworthy. Books give a long view and a more thorough understanding. News encourages negativity and defeat. Books encourage solutions and forward thinking.
We can do it. Perhaps you don't agree with my prescription, but I hope you will consider the direction of my thought. The United States is too young to be crippled by doubt and despair, and our nation is too blessed for fear and complaint. With a can-do attitude, our best years are still ahead. We have already made this a better world, and with optimism, hope, and determination we can not only have a better future here, we can help the rest of the world to a brighter tomorrow.
In a world of humans who are sinners and where philosophers speak of “man’s inhumanity to man,” I guess it’s not surprising that people tend to focus on the bad side of things. People are more interested in reading the bad things that happen, so news is typically dark. In general, people listen to dirt, the gossip that tells of people’s mistakes and failings, the seamier the better. In particular, those of a more leftist perspective tend to be more negative and humorless in their view of the world; the more traditional and conservative seem to be a bit more positive and upbeat. Yet, being negative is so common, as to be nearly universal. On the negative side, the tendency is to find twisted humor in the bad things that happen to other people; the other side, people are more often able to laugh at themselves, where humor has a healing effect.
I was a small town pastor for nearly 10 years. I have a vivid memory of the old geezers at the local greasy spoon, complaining about the state of things. My predecessor actually boasted that he was “on the job every day,” at one of those tables. Personally, I never wanted any part of that. The Old Testament records that the Israelites grumbled and complained, and it cost an entire generation their chance to enter the “Land of Milk and Honey.” In Romans, chapter 1, Paul indicates that ingratitude is “the first and worst of sins,” as I like to put it. In other words, you risk losing what you don’t appreciate, what you take for granted, or anything you assume as your right or a fact of life.
I have the misfortune of being a “melancholy optimist.” I think I can change the world, make a difference, and see that things will generally work out, except for myself. At that, I never stop trying to make things better, and I believe it is possible to do so. For most things, my glass is “half full.” I generally have a good sense of humor, and, when I’m “on,” I can be pretty funny, too, making even heavy subjects easier to contemplate.
Regrettably, not everyone thinks that way or even wants things to be better. Some people seem to relish finding the dark side of things and even twisting what is good into something bad. It reminds me of a roommate who could find a sexual innuendo in the most innocent things I said. Michael Medved speaks to that when he writes about a recent New York Times article on the supposed decline of marriage. Of course, their data is misinterpreted and intentionally distorted, but there’s nothing new about that. For some, the goal is showing how bad things are in the traditional view of things in order to promote the anti-traditional alternative.
What do we say about traditional, conservative people who are always expecting the worst? I didn’t grow up among fundamentalists, but I spent my college and seminary years in their company. I believe in the fundamentals of the Christian faith, which is the appropriate way to use the word, not like today when people use it as synonymous with radical or extreme. However, despite my agreement with those basic Christian ideas, I have always been troubled by the pessimism of their “end times” beliefs. Jesus and the New Testament have too much hope to justify such a hopeless outlook. The world and its people may be corrupted by sin, but Jesus came to overcome the world, to save sinners, and make us "more than conquerors."
Recently, I heard Rush Limbaugh read from an email that said it so plainly. America is the best place in the world. We are rich, have so many choices, and enjoy so many remarkable things, yet people complain, think things are bad, and have no perspective on life here compared to the rest of the world. Yes, even here, people suffer tragedy, lose their livelihoods, and face insurmountable obstacles, but most of us have it really, really good! I have been tutoring refugees from places like Sudan, Honduras, Afghanistan, Somalia, and Myanmar (formerly Burma). They have faced the loss of their families, war, slavery, starvation, disease, corruption, murder, and persecution. They really have something to complain about, yet they can be some of the sweetest, most optimistic people I have met.
Why is the United States so well off? Luck? Some nay-sayers believe or at least pontificate that it's an accident of birth or the rich stealing from the poor. Nonsense! America is the greatest nation that has ever existed on this planet because of the rugged individualism, freedom, and a belief that we can do anything if we set our minds to it and get it done. We have been a nation of doers, overcomers, and visionaries who set out to fulfill their dreams and did. Negativity, whining and complaining, being victims, or turning everyone else into a victim class didn't make this nation great, and it will not preserve its greatness.
Sometimes I get bogged down by exhaustion, circumstances, or significant set-backs. I get discouraged and lose my motivation to move ahead. I imagine most people do, at times. I can understand a country or a people doing the same thing. We can become "war weary," although this current war hasn't come close to reaching the extent of weariness of World War II or the Civil War. I pray it never does, but the threat of terrorism and radical Islam suggest we have a long fight ahead. Those who want to quit, already, are an embarrasment to our heritage of victory and greatness. Doug Giles, in his book The Bulldog Attitude, calls people like that "poodles," more interested in their own comfort than in winning the fights that create true success.
A "can-do attitude" is a bedrock American value. It is also a Christian value for "with God, all things are possible." In understanding American history, God's providence should not be disregarded. The world looked at the former colonies, following the Revolutionary War, and scoffed at their prospects. Yet they had the optimism to forge ahead despite the doubters abroad, and they prevailed. We must do the same today, against another set of scoffers abroad, with God as our sustainer, provider, and source of wisdom. We can do it, whatever seemingly impossible challenge we face--terrorism, war, economic uncertainty, security and immigration fears, drugs, whatever.
What about all that negativity? Here's a few thoughts. 1) Don't listen or watch too much network news, and turn it off when it gets too discouraging. You'll never miss, but you will find you feel a great deal better. 2) Be a skeptic when you hear how bad things are. Often those reports are dishonest, distorted, and disingenuous, and the reporters are offering their agenda-driven opinions. The days of objective reporting of news are long past with a few notable exceptions. 3) Avoid friends who whine, complain, and criticize. Men who constantly talk about how bad women are or women who generalize about the short-coming of men will only make it harder for you to have good relationships with men or women. 4) Recognize that gossip is gossip whether your talking about your friends or listening to so-called celebrity news. We love to hear the dirt, but it's hard to see clearly when you eyes are filled with grit and grime. That stuff leaves a bad taste behind. The world will look, sound, smell, feel, and taste better with less garbage in the mix. 5) Get enough rest. For some reason, we seem to think we have to work hard, play hard, and neglect the time it takes to recharge our batteries. I'm a night owl, and I can even resent my friends who won't stay up and play. 6) Take time, quality and quantity of time, for people. Rest charges one kind of batteries. Positive involvements with people charge our emotional batteries, and we need that. 7) Read good books including the Bible. Reading charges your intellectual batteries as well as your imagination, so read fiction and non-fiction, great books and the books you simply enjoy. We cannot always escape to Fiji or Hawaii, but we can escape into those places and many others in the world of literature. TV and movies don't come close to measuring up, and I say that as a lifetime viewer. Fortunately, I am also a lifetime reader.
On that last point, books will give us a far greater perspective on the world, events, and issues that any reporter's sound bite or even the greatest thinkers commentary. As a peacemaker, I learned that there is always at least two sides to every situation. Our fast-pace lives have created a form of instant information that cannot really inform us, at all. Someone once suggested that the best way to read newspapers was to save them for a week or a month or so, then read only those things that were still worth reading. Much of news and commentary is not only dated quickly but irrelevant just as quickly. News is often created just to satisfy the need by media and public for immediacy. Unfortunately, the result is just as often discouraging, dispiriting, and untrustworthy. Books give a long view and a more thorough understanding. News encourages negativity and defeat. Books encourage solutions and forward thinking.
We can do it. Perhaps you don't agree with my prescription, but I hope you will consider the direction of my thought. The United States is too young to be crippled by doubt and despair, and our nation is too blessed for fear and complaint. With a can-do attitude, our best years are still ahead. We have already made this a better world, and with optimism, hope, and determination we can not only have a better future here, we can help the rest of the world to a brighter tomorrow.
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