6. A Sense of Humor
“A cheerful heart is a good medicine.”
Things will not always work out as we hope. People do not behave as we would like. Our best efforts may collapse in failure. A sense of humor can save us from anger, disappointment, and discouragement.
This is not the laughter which makes fun of other people, nor is it the life of the party joker who wants to be the center of things. This is the humor of one who takes God seriously, but does not make oneself so important. It is the attitude which permits human failure, our own included, to be a source of amusement.
The humor of faith sees the difference between what we pretend to be and what we really are. What a person finds funny is often a fairly accurate index of what that person considers holy. Those who can’t laugh at themselves may instead be worshiping themselves. A sense of humor means we understand who and what is important.
Jesus was a complete human being, including a sense of humor. We can just hear the chuckles as he told the story about specks and logs to illustrate the problem with our judging others. When we hear his illustration for those who fuss over trifles: “You strain off a gnat yet gulp down a camel . . .” (Matthew 23:24) we understand why the common people heard him gladly.
For Reflection: What do I find funny?
A Prayer Seed:
Rejoice, ye pure in heart!
Rejoice, give thanks, and sing!
Your festal banner wave on high,
The cross of Christ your King.
Edward H. Plumptre, 1865
