The Triumph of Cynicism

In looking for what Christian people are saying about the public resignation of Greg Smith from Goldman Sachs, I found this:

"The letter landed like a bomb within the firm yesterday. The reaction on the Internet and in other media has been intense. But here is the interesting thing to me–no, not interesting, but infuriating, disturbing, disgusting–most of the reaction I have read or heard has been: yes, this is bad, this is seedy–but hey, what do you expect? Hasn’t it always been this way? Isn’t it this way everywhere?

I don’t want to have to believe this, but maybe it is time to say: cynicism now reigns. It has settled into our culture like a life-threatening hypothermia. People are numb. They’re ready to give up.

The ultimate triumph of cynicism is that people are cynical and they don’t even know it.

When trust of leaders of government is below 20%, when education has become more a trade than a calling, when the court system is a roll of the dice–all that is bad enough. But when people shrug their shoulders with a “what did you expect?” attitude, we have to wonder who is left to step forward and offer that rare thing today: an ideal." Read the entire post here . It was written by Mel Lawrenz on The Brook Network. (I know nothing about the author or any organization with which he may be connected beyond what is written on the page in the link.)

The writer nails what I've been feeling. Way too much apathy exists when things are not as they ought to be, and precious few people have the intestinal fortitude to risk calling outrageous things by their ever-so-accurate but politically incorrect or morally reprehensible names. As Lawrenz points out, a greater tragedy occurs when, not only do people with power "get by" without being challenged when they misuse it, continuing heedlessly on a course of destruction and ultimate judgement, no one holds high the banner of a better way--thereby offering a reminder that the slide toward ruin can be interrupted and repented of. A new course and a new destination are possible. It's easier, however, to give a ho-hum sigh and to simply live and let live . . . and most people choose the easier way.

The Occupiers have been soundly condemned in some Christian circles. I wonder if those who felt free to condemn the Occupiers will have a similar response to Greg Smith's actions, which essentially focus on the same message: common people are victimized by greed inside powerful financial institutions. I suspect those previously condemning Christians will not condemn Greg Smith, (although I recognize that this might be an assumption more generous than accurate) but they will be silent, because they will see his protest as somehow more honorable than that of the Occupiers. After all, he had a good job and has pretty much lived according to society's expectations so far. Hasn't he earned the right to complain? (Since when is truth telling only recommended or allowed for the well-placed?)

Some of the Occupiers, however, were perhaps a step above Smith on the moral ladder by speaking out before their own jobs or reputations were threatened by the actions of a powerful elite. Perhaps they were speaking out on behalf of others. Perhaps they even gave up their own jobs to give a public witness (before they had twelve years of $500.000.00 salaries under their belt, as Smith had), and to call to account people who were behaving badly and causing suffering for others in the process. Perhaps they saw that acting now might prevent a cascade of future disasters that would spread and multiply the suffering.

Couldn't Christians reasonably agree that things inside some powerful financial institutions seem to have gone very wrong, and people are not wrong to notice and make mention of it--privately or publicly--whether they are inside Wall Street or outside of it, whether they are nobodies or somebodies? Couldn't we leave off, for a moment at least, debate on the intricacies of the precisely proper way to go about "bearing witness" and just applaud people who have had the courage to speak truth to power?

To be sure, if we were contemplating such actions ourselves, we would need to consider carefully the principles taught in Scripture and act accordingly. The danger, however, is that we never get to the "considering carefully" part for ourselves. We're too busy pointing out what is wrong with how others are doing it, and never formulate a personal position that might call for action. Shame on us.