Scrap Positive Thinking

I've been visiting a family at the hospital. The father of this kind family is dying of a blood-related cancer. I think a lot of this family though I have only known them for a short time. They were doing well coping with the new diagnosis. They knew it would be difficult. The patient renewed his faith and in talking with him was amazed at his ability to speak of what his illness has taught him. It was as if he had an awakening of some sort. They are Catholic and his faith has been a major factor in aiding his coping with his illness.
Then a lay person from their church visited and told them to 'keep a positive attitude" and then reinforced that this positive attitude would in some way reverse the horrible physical and mental pain this gentleman was suffering.
The family bought it some what though I think the patient's wife was cautious. Then a friend read an article in the Dallas Morning News. It was titled, The Tyranny of Positive Thinking. Love the title. You can read it at this link: http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/fea/columnists/mjacobs/stories/DN-nh_jacobsessay_0403liv.ART.State.Edition1.212556c.html

The article had a great piece of art to illustrate the message of the article. I printed a copy of the DMN web page and rushed it down the hall to the patient's wife. I used the artwork to illustrate what positive thinking will do when it eventually becomes a burden. I pointed out the tears that were, instead of flowing down the cheeks of this face, being swallowed only to pool up in the throat. We have all felt that pooling effect at one time or another as we try to choke back our sorrow so that we may have a positive attitude. The grieving spouse got it immediately. She related quickly and thanked me. She said, "Yes, this is it. This is the way I've been feeling."
And then I wondered, where in the heck did Christians adopt this ridiculous idea that positive thinking has this much power? I find myself getting angrier and angrier over this foolishness that exists nowhere in the Bible. Good Friday was yesterday. If Jesus would have only thought more positively! Ugghh! Jesus said, "Father, Why have you forsaken me?" not, "If I could only keep my chin up . . ."
The Sunday School class I teach watched Jesus Christ Superstar this past Sunday. I was surprised few had seen it. When Jesus asked God if there was any other way out and then finally says something like, "You better make it quick before I change my mind!", one viewer said, "Wow, I knew Jesus might have questioned but I've never thought of his doubt going that deep." Could have, in my humble opinion. Positive thinking. It's the craze nowadays. Don't buy into it. It will be like eating cheeze wiz in a can. It'll taste good for a while, you'll become lazy and out of shape, then it won't taste so good anymore, but you'll be too close to dead to care.