With God’s Grace, our faith, and a healthy dose of good humor, we will get through this!
Jesus was an excellent communicator. He had empathy, charm, and genuine charisma (after all, Charis is the Greek word for Grace). He spoke with confidence, clarity, and gentleness. He spoke to people with illustrations from their own experience, explaining what he meant to those who asked. And he employed humor to make his point.
I am not saying that Jesus wasn’t serious. Nor am I saying that he was a pratfall comic. But in our day as in many days of the past, comedians often serve as prophets and truth-tellers. Consider Mort Sahl, Lenny Bruce, Robin Williams, Sarah Silverman, and Trevor Noah. Whether it is a spoonful of sugar or an over-the-top impression, humor helps us know the truth.
Much of the humor of Jesus does not translate well. We are often confused by his word play. (A “camel through the eye of a needle” seems a bit obtuse, until we learn of a city gate designed so that it was impossible for such animals to enter, or until we learn that in the language Jesus spoke, the word for camel and the word for rope are very similar). But one part of his gift of humor rings with us today – if we would let it – exaggeration:
“’Why do you see the speck in your neighbor’s eye, but do not notice the log in your own eye? Or how can you say to your neighbor, “Let me take the speck out of your eye”, while the log is in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your neighbor’s eye.’” (Matthew 7:3-5)
OK, to explain humor is to ruin it. But picture us all walking around with logs sticking out of our eyes. Imagine how ridiculous that would have sounded. Now picture Jesus smiling as he says it, and the people laughing… as he points out their hypocrisy. It makes it so much easier for the people he is speaking to and about to say “OK, yes, I see myself there (as much as I can see around this log!).”
One of the things that has made my life easier in the past week has been humor. People sharing their experiences in funny ways. One of my former youth group members wrote this on Facebook: “We are only a few days in and I’m already ordering weird stuff on Amazon. I thought I’d get in at least a week of quarantine before I decided things like I HAD to have a scope to see inside my ear.”
So many others have written new words to old songs to share the pain our new reality with humor. You may have seen that Neil Diamond has updated “Sweet Caroline” to include: “Hands, washing hands, reaching out, don’t touch me, I won’t touch you!”
I have asked James to prepare to play for us next Sunday another song, which could use a little updating. At first the thought of the song title made me laugh, but as I read the words again it makes me cry with compassion, stand strong with hope and smile in confidence at what God is doing:
“From a distance we all have enough
And no one is in need
And there are no guns, no bombs and no disease
No hungry mouths to feed.
From a distance we are instruments,
Marching in a common band.
Playing songs of hope, playing songs of peace.
They’re the songs of every (one).
God is watching us. God is watching us.
God is watching us from a distance.”
(Bette Midler, “From a Distance,” from the album “Experience the Divine.”)
Of course, at this time when we all must be in contact with one another from a distance, the one who is not distant is God. “God is our refuge and our strength, a very present help in time of need.” (Psalm 46:1)
O God our hope, be with us now. Help us to feel your presence, your touch, your embrace, even as we must be physically distant from one another. Move through the hearts, minds, and hands of those who are accomplishing your work of healing and sustaining life at this time. Fill us all with a vision of what might be; not just a return to what was, but what we can yet become. Allow this time in the wilderness to make us even more prepared to make your reign on earth resemble that which is above. This we pray through Jesus, our Savior and our smiling friend. Amen.
Pastor George