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“A cheerful heart is good medicine.”

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‘I don’t know if I should laugh or cry.’ Have you ever expressed this sentiment? God has given human beings the gift of laughter. He has also enabled us to cry. To know when to laugh and  to cry is a gift. In most cases, wherever possible, my vote is for laughter.

 Much that passes as humor in today’s popular culture is crude and viscous, taking delight either in the sufferings of others or in belittling others.  This is not the Christian way.

 People who can laugh at themselves take the world seriously but not too seriously. They are aware of the gap between what the world ought to be and the way it is, between what they ought to be and the way they are, but they do not give in to cynicism. This insight reaches deeply into our experience of life as people of  faith. We are fallen creatures in a fallen world. The entire creation, including you and me, have been damaged by the presence of evil. We will always fall short of perfection, no matter how hard we try.

 At times, if we have any sensitivity at all, we must grieve over this condition even to the point of shedding tears. That is apporpriate. At the same time Christians live in the light of God’s grace and forgiveness. “Though your sins are like scarlet, I will make them white as snow”, the Bible tells us. In Christ Jesus God has closed the gap between what we ought to be and what we are. He declares us to be righteous in Christ, sees us as His sons and daughters.

 To approach with humor the mishaps and problems of our lives and others with charity and good will can bring a bit of healing and help lighten the load, if just a little, as we journey on toward the kingdom that God has prepared for us.

 “May the peace of God that passes all understanding keep you hearts and minds in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

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