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PDF versionWant to get in touch with God? Laugh a little
by Bill Tammeus on Apr. 06, 2011
Ten-plus years ago I wrote a piece for Celebration, NCR’s worship resource, in which I suggested in all seriousness that humor is holy.
At the time, I still was writing an alleged humor column for The Kansas City Star and perhaps I was trying to justify my continued employment.
But, in fact, in the intervening years -- after 9/11, wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, deadly earthquakes and tsunamis in Asia, a terrible economic recession and much more -- I’ve become convinced that humor may be the one thing we cannot do without, the one thing that puts us in harmony with God, who apparently thinks it’s funny to design pigeons so their heads are attached to their butts (why else would they walk that way?).
What, after all, is humor? It’s an unexpected break, a rupture in the routine, a road not taken because we had no idea the road was even there. It is, in the end, joyful surprise.
And what is the one persistent, enduring, indefatigable characteristic of God? Surprise.
For what was the creation itself if not a water-shooting boutonniere to the shocked face of the non-existent cosmos? And, supremely, what was Jesus’ resurrection if not a way of calling forth from us in joyful astonishment the celebratory phrase “He lives!”?
It’s sad that much humor in our culture is rooted in base, demeaning attitudes toward people. This is especially true of the sex-based entertainment on TV and in movies and pop music that, in the end, reduces our little-less-than-a-god species to titillating body parts.
Those of you who remember my Celebration piece -- and even memorized it to pass on its eternal wisdom to future generations -- know that in it I quoted the Lutheran theologian Robert W. Jenson on his insight that for both Jews and Christians God is the one who, in surprise moves, rescues people. For Jews, a definition of God is “whoever rescued us from Egypt.” For Christians, God is “whoever rescued Jesus from the dead.”
In both instances, we meet the God of surprises, the God of possibilities who, with ingenuity, stuns people when they have all but abandoned hope.
This recognition of God’s ability -- and penchant -- to surprise us should make us humble, though it rarely seems to. Those of us who imagine that we have God all figured out, that we know what God thinks about war, hunger, homosexuality, peace, ritual and riches -- would do well to hold our opinions tentatively.
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The God who brought (and continues to bring) the world into existence, who let the barren Sarah have children, who dried up a path through the sea for the fleeing Hebrews, who resurrected Jesus Christ -- this God of beautiful surprises surely is not done head-faking us, sleight-of-handing us, tortoise-over-hare astonishing us.
So can we please add some humor to our homilies, our worship, our ceremonies? Can we not behave as if laughter has no place at a marriage, a funeral, a baptism?
OK, here’s my favorite joke. Tell it at church next Sunday:
It’s a slow day at the Pearly Gates, so St. Peter asks Jesus if he’d watch things while Peter takes a long lunch hour.
“No problem,” Jesus says. “I’ve got nothing but time.”
After a long wait, Jesus sees someone off on the horizon moving toward the gates. He watches and watches the man’s slow movement. When the man gets close enough for Jesus to make out his face, Jesus looks hard, thinking he recognizes something.
When the man finally arrives, Jesus welcomes him and asks him about his life.
“In my life, I was a carpenter,” he says.
Jesus stares, then asks, “Uh, what else?”
“I had a son. And this son was dead but then came to life.”
Jesus looks the man in the eyes: “Dad? Dad is that you?” he asks.
And the old man replies: “Pinocchio?”
Like I said, surprise. It’s a God thing.
[Bill Tammeus, a Presbyterian elder and former award-winning Faith columnist for The Kansas City Star, writes the daily "Faith Matters" blog for The Star’s Web site and a monthly column for The Presbyterian Outlook. His latest book, co-authored with Rabbi Jacques Cukierkorn, is They Were Just People: Stories of Rescue in Poland During the Holocaust. E-mail him at wtammeus@kc.rr.com.]
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A Catholic laughing? What a
A Catholic laughing? What a wonderful thought. Too bad it doesn't happen nearly often enough. Too many Catholics seem to believe that laughing might just be a sin. (Even though Jesus told some great funny stories.)
That's why I wrote "The Book of Catholic Jokes" (ACTA Publications, Chicago) a couple of years ago and followed it up with "The Second Book of Catholic Jokes." Both of the jokes you told are in the books.
And coming out in June at the Religious Book Trade Exhibit will be the third volume, focusing on jokes about growing older (hey, that just might be me) and about relationship.
Yeah, I guess this is a push for someone (maybe you?) to say something nice about the series. tom sheridan
actapublications.com
A sense of humor is a good
A sense of humor is a good thing but it is not really a quality of the Almighty! It is something that helps us finite beings get through life. Paulte has a good sense of humor but it is not always appreciated by the NCR editors! Although after many, many tries, they finally printed my Sr Theresa Kane poem. I just came up with a Fr Roy priestess poem. I wonder if it will show up?
My cloistered Carmelite nun
My cloistered Carmelite nun cousin, now passed on, used to say "I think 'thou shalt have a sense of humor' should be the 11th commandment." Joyful surprise! What a lovely idea of God. "Those of us who imagine that we have God all figured out, that we know what God thinks about war, hunger, homosexuality, peace, ritual and riches -- would do well to hold our opinions tentatively." Ah! Thanks for adding to the joyful surprises of this day.
Actually, we do know what God
Actually, we do know what God thinks about the above statement. He tells us through the BIBLE...
Thanks for the laugh Bill.
Thanks for the laugh Bill. Humor is such a gift from God. I attempt to use it in liturgy and in my college classroom frequently. It makes people happy and I believe God wants so much for us to be happy! Keep up the jokes.
hard 2 laff with headlines
hard 2 laff with headlines like this one:
http://www.ucanews.com/2011/04/07/vatican-eviscerated-icel-in-a-coup-detat/
Lovely, thanks for your
Lovely, thanks for your refreshing contributions. I very much enjoy them. I should get those Catholic jokes.
I am looking for your next piece
That joke was painfully
That joke was painfully unfunny; no wonder people stay away from church. It's so boring and pitiful and pointless.
Want to "surprise" the rest of the world? How about not ordaining so many closet cases or supporting birth control? Or paying your fair share of taxes?
Subtle humor and not easily
Subtle humor and not easily spotted! That's the suggestion of this article on Jewish scriptures' humor
http://academic.brooklyn.cuny.edu/economic/friedman/bibhumor.htm
As for the NT, the instances that immediately spring to mind are the camel trying to squeeze through the eye of a needle and Paul escaping his enemies by being let down over a wall in a laundry basket. Then there's a couple of names: the young man in Acts who fell asleep during Paul's preaching, fell out of the window but was picked up alive- his name was Lucky. But the best joke of all was Jesus calling Jonas's son Simon "Rocky" in the well-quoted passage of Matt 16 : 18. Yes, I know the normal text says "Rock" but Jesus also calls this same man "Satan" just 5 verses later.
And imagine Rocky's face when he finds, as instructed, the temple tax coin in the fish's mouth!
get in Touch with God? feed
get in Touch with God?
feed the hungry, heal the sick, love the unlovable, house the illegally homeless, clothe the naked, welcome the stranger, etc.
and come to the Spanish Mass, in the poor neighborhood in the church with the homeless shelter and soup kitchen in the old rectory
BILL FOR POPE! (Or at least
BILL FOR POPE! (Or at least Bishop.)
Bill, I love you. Why can't we have somebody like you for Pope? I am totally serious.
Here's what I think we need: a III VATICAN COUNCIL, loaded with ANYONE WHO WANTS TO ATTEND, that means Protestants, Buddhists, Hindus, JEWS, MOSLEMS, etc., heck even Mormons, GAY PEOPLE and even LOTS OF WOMEN. AND WHY NOT some of the VAT III, Meeting done online, to include even TEENAGERS. (Oh my GOSH!!!!!)
I would love to hear all these varied folks' INPUT, on what the Catholic Church lacks/can now do better!
All the above folks are absolutely invited to soup kitchen work, homeless ministry, 12-Step Meetings, and help in poor neighborhoods, (following the above comment) AND IS NOT THAT ABOVE WORK, THE WORK OF THE LORD JESUS CHRIST? So why not? It is such a cool VISION!!!!
That's an interesting insight
That's an interesting insight by the Lutheran theologian Bill, God is the one who in surprise moves rescues us .. Jews from the Eyptians.
There was no mention of them being rescued from the Holocaust by anybody in more recent times.
As I have read many times written by survivors, God must have been hiding.
Maybe the surprise was, that it was the Jehovah Witness's who first warned the world what was happening in the early days and no one took any notice of them.
Was that the laughable matter here.
Roberto Benigni Actor
Roberto Benigni
Actor |Writer |Director
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Trivia:
Winning the Best Foreign Language Film category, for Life is Beautiful, at the The 70th Annual Academy Awards, he famously climbed on the back of the seat for his procession to the stage and applauded the audience. The following year, while announcing the nominees for the Best Actress Award, Billy Crystal appeared behind him with a large net to restrain him. See more trivia »
Born:
Roberto Remigio Benigni
October 27, 1952 in Misericordia, Arezzo, Tuscany, Italy
God surprises me all the
God surprises me all the time!
Yesterday i was playing piano in the living room, and my daughter was having a smoke in the garage. She is relatively new at her place of work, and is trying to fit in with everybody. For some reason, an idea popped into my head and i had to tell it to my girl.
"Why don't you give your boss some flowers for her birthday?"
"What brought that up? How do you know when Helen's birthday is?"
"I don't."
"Oh, you mean brown nose a little?"
"Yes, something like that..."
She went in the house and began writing. It was a thank you note, written on floral paper, written to the boss. "Good idea Mom." She left for work.
Later last evening, she brought me a huge hunk of remaining chocolate birthday cake. Yesterday actually was Helen's birthday. (!)
Good point. Humor is good
Good point. Humor is good and healthy for the soul and the psyche. If readers want to pursue other sources of church humor they might want to read James Martin's book "Between Heaven and Mirth: Why Joy, Humor, and Laughter Are at the Heart of the Spiritual Life" (HarperOne, October 2011). Martin comments on his book at www.amazon.com/Between-Heaven-Mirth-Laughter-Spiritual/dp/0062024264.
The Spirituality & Practice book review comments "Martin's goal is to suggest how joy, humor, and laughter are essential in the spiritual life. For those who are travelling a more traditional path, the author reveals the solid place of joy in the Old and New Testaments, especially in the Psalms and in the writings of St. Luke, and St. Paul." This book is worth a read!
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