When I was 17, I was asked to speak at an event and entitled the speech: “Facing Life with Humor.” Thankfully, I have no clear recollection of exactly what I said at that time at age 17, but the gist of it was that humor is a helpful tool with which to face the trials, triumphs, and tribulations of life. No less a philosopher than Minnie Pearl once suggested that “laughter is the hand of God on the shoulder of a troubled world.” And so it is! The ability to laugh amid difficulties and to laugh at oneself from time to time are gifts that can ease the pain of challenging times and embrace friends and strangers alike. My mom had that gift; it was a gift she shared freely with others with a memorable, infectious laugh. Here, Virginia Wetzel and Grif Bonham had that gift and shared it generously, brightening our lives along the way. Some of their stories continue to lighten and brighten our lives to this day!
Our friend Jim Simpson, a pastor in Scotland, has written a few books that are collections of humorous stories and anecdotes from across the church on either side of the Atlantic. As Jim writes in Life, Love, and Laughter: “Laughter is great therapy…In our troubled and often inhuman world, a sense of humor is a great gift, part of the human survival kit. It does help preserve sanity. Because not taking ourselves too seriously is closely related to taking other things very seriously….” The spark of such laughter is what makes late-night comics so popular through the years. Conversely, we all know those who take themselves too seriously and find it impossible to laugh at themselves or to appreciate those who poke fun at them from time to time – a narcissism that denies the very image of God in which we all were created, tarnished though we be!
These days, there are a lot of serious and discouraging things happening that can cause us to despair or give up hope. It is far too easy in the echo chambers of modern media to be ground down by it all. Laughter is one of the antidotes! It dares to look into the face of despair and assert hope that all is not lost, for God is at work in it all!
Through these coming days, I encourage you to take time with those things or people or pets that bring a smile to your face. Such moments are not a denial of the ills of the world or an escape from them, but a means of coping with them and shaking free of their toxic grasp. May God grant you the gift of laughter this day! Toward that end, here is one note from Jim Simpson: “Not far from where we stay in Perthshire is the parish of Dull. Though Dull is a beautiful part of Scotland, the thought of being known as the Dull minister is not one that appeals to me.” Or to me either! With smiles and every good blessing.
