Humor with a Message

Good Morning All,

Hopefully as one spends even just a little bit of time around Covenant, it becomes increasingly clear that humor and laughter play an important part in our life together as this community of faith. Humor is a gift from God and when appropriately used, can greatly diffuse anger or defensiveness and overall, humor has the ability to “cure whatever ails us!”

God’s humor was evident during Holy Week, even on the most somber of nights when we gathered for worship on Maundy Thursday…it was April 1st…April Fool’s Day…what irony when you stop to think about it…The scriptures remind us of how Peter was so insistent with his words and assumed attitude regarding his undying loyalty to Jesus as recorded in John 13, as Jesus was sharing the Passover Feast with his friends; telling them that he will only be with them a little while longer; and then giving them the new commandment to love one another.

Peter, genuinely being caught up in the moment, declares that he REALLY wants to go with Jesus, wherever he’s going…

”No matter where, Lord…I will lay down my life for you, Lord…”

“Really, Peter? Hmmmmm….”I tell you this, before the rooster crows, you will have denied me 3 times…”

“Oh no, not me Lord…You’ll see…I’m gonna go with you, Lord…hide and watch… Hmmmmm…April Fool’s, Lord…April Fool’s…

We’ve heard it said that laughter truly is the best medicine. And Frederick Beuchner reminds us that laughter comes from as deep a place as tears; and in a way, I believe it is the same place, deep within our very souls. As much as tears do, laughter comes out of the darkness of the world; the shadows of life. Because of laughter & shadows occupying the same place within us, the shadows of life are not ever totally eliminated.

And here we are, just a few days out from Easter Sunday and aware of it or not, anyone who celebrated God’s great miracle of Christ’s resurrection has also celebrated God’s biggest joke accomplished in the face of evil. Having said this then, it’s obvious right from the start, that God’s sense of humor and God’s ability for joke telling doesn’t bear much resemblance to the kind of humor we readily recognize in our everyday world.

God’s humor is probably more appropriately viewed as irony—public scrutiny of either a vice or some kind of foolishness with no attempt to be cruel or harmful to another. It’s a story about a particular situation or a person or group of people that evokes some kind of subtle insight. There is always something to be learned from irony. It’s humor with a message. This is what God’s humor is.

And while it may be a stretch or at the very least, uncomfortable or disrespectful to think that God has a sense of humor, yet alone dare to link God’s humor with Jesus’ resurrection; there are several examples of God’s humor found throughout both the Hebrew Testament and the New Testament. All we have to do is to begin by reading the Creation stories and then pause to look in the mirror for confirmation of God’s humor! :)

Each day, as we celebrate God’s love for all of Creation, our love for God and for those with whom we share life, we are reminded over and over again of the outlandish, extravagant, prodigal God we worship…the God who does the impossible, the highly improbable with the impossible and the highly improbable.

We know and believe the miracle of Christ’s resurrection to be God’s finest hour of sharing humor with a skeptical and cynical world. God has played the trump card and God indeed has had the last laugh. God’s love has triumphed over evil and over death. Thanks be to God!
Blessings, Joanne