Some days, I wonder if I’m too cynical to be in ministry.

Now, don’t read that as if I’m questioning my choice of career. I absolutely feel called to ministry. What I’m really questioning is whether or not I need to work on my overly-cynical disposition.

It all came to a head the other night when my facebook wall and twitter feed were blowing up with folks posting about the homeless man randomly walking into a Christian music artist video and started freestyling.

Many of those posting made positive comments about how awesome it was and that it could only be God at work.

My immediate reaction was, “It was probably a set-up to manipulate people and sell more records.”

It just seemed all-too-convenient. The artist happened to be recording a live video. The “homeless” man simply wandered up and started singing. No one from the film crew stopped the man. They happened to know he was homeless. No one has seen or heard from “Danny” since the video. Looking up the video, it is several years old and has conveniently had new life breathed into it.

Many found the video moving…I found it to be suspect. Many gave God glory as a result…I’m waiting for the scandal.

So, I found myself wondering what’s wrong with me that I couldn’t just say, “Wow, that’s really awesome!”

Is it because I have a fragile ego and can’t understand why this kind of stuff doesn’t happen to me? I mean, who doesn’t want extra traffic driven to their blog, twitter account, or church?

Is it because I’ve seen too many of “these” types of Christian stories that are later debunked?

Is it because I’ve seen too many of “these” Christian stories that end up doing more damage than good?

Is it because I’m generally an arrogant, sarcastic jerk that simply doesn’t want to acknowledge that this could have been real?

Is it because I’m too entrenched in the Christian world…that I know that we are human…and fall victim to using schemes (often referred to as the “old bait and switch) to drive people into our churches…that Christians can often play on emotions in order to manipulate folks?

Is my cynicism a defense mechanism? I mean, if I simply look for the worst, I won’t be disappointed or surprised when it comes true.

Is it because I’m a fan of  the late, great George Carlin and I took it to heart when he encouraged us to teach children to “question everything”?

In reality, I hope the video is legit. I don’t know anything about the artist, outside of what a short google search and quick visit to his website reveals. I’m sure he’s a great guy and has a wonderful ministry. So, my hopes are that this is a wonderful, true story and that I’m simply a jerk for hesitating to believe and having questions regarding its authenticity.