Does God have a Sense of Humour?

"I will also laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your fear cometh." (Proverbs 1:26)

Is this proof that God has a sense of humour? Is there such a thing as 'universal' humour, or does it depend upon the mores of culture and community? Impossible questions? Maybe.

The Audience

History has shown that 'professional' humour operates on a knife edge and that only the fabled few comedians, and comediennes, are able to hack it successfully year after year. They have the skills to match their humour with the audience knowing that failure to do so would mean disaster. Stand-up comedy is also about character and style of delivery. We only see the elite because of the dictates of the media. "Laugh and the world laughs with you. Weep and you weep alone" is a well-worn adage which still holds true today.

The above scripture is interesting because it is one of the very few which blatantly give God a human face. I have mentioned, in a previous post, that man is forever anthropomorphising God. By doing this, man feels more comfortable about God - like he's one of us - a chip off the old block.

Gallows Laughter

But don't get me wrong! God is no stand-up comedian. The laughter suggested in the above scripture is a classic example of 'gallows' laughter. This is a kind of anti-humour, the sort that says "I'll get back at you for what you've done, ha-ha." This is definitely a case of Nemesis rides again. The need to get even is, unfortunately, heavily ingrained in man's psyche.

You've probably noticed that the bible, generally speaking, doesn't have much 'natural' humour in it. In fact the overall tenor of the scriptures is a sobering cocktail of misery, morbidity and mayhem. It seems that being a 'man of God' is a serious business, not to be taken lightly or lightheartedly.

Women and Humour

"A time to weep and a time to laugh." (Ecclesiastes 3:4)

Made into a famous song, this scripture runs the whole gamut of emotions. On balance, there is more weeping than laughing. There is, however, one event that demonstrates beyond question the existence of natural humour. When Abraham's wife, Sarah, was told she would conceive and give birth, she laughed. This was hardly surprising since she was 90 years old. As we all know, she gave birth to a son called Isaac, a name which means 'laughter'. Interestingly, there is no record of Abraham laughing. He, after all, was much older. Does this mean that women have a greater sense of humour than men?

As I write this, I am reminded, with sadness, of certain countries who are, even now, destroying their infant girls. Apart from the moral and social implications of this act, they are destroying the spirit of humour. What will they become when the spring of humour dries up completely?

Unintentional Humour

"Thy teeth are like a flock of sheep..." (Song of Solomon 4:2)

This one is a hoot. If this isn't a starter for ten, I don't know what is. Can you imagine saying these words to your loved one? Can you imagine the response? I don't have a punchline that will cut the mustard but if you have any suggestions feel free to make a comment.

Old Golfers Never Die

One day Jesus, Moses and an old man were playing golf. Jesus went up to the tee and hit the ball which sailed over the fairway into the water trap. Jesus simply walked on the water and chipped the ball on to the green. Then Moses went up to the tee and hit the ball which also went into the water trap. Moses simply parted the water and chipped the ball on to the green.

Next to play was the old man. He hit the ball which headed for the water trap. Just before it hit the water, a fish jumped out catching the ball in its mouth. But before the fish could dive back into the water an eagle flew down catching the fish in its claws. The eagle, with fish and ball, flew up, whereupon a lightning bolt shot by, barely missing it. In its fright, the eagle dropped the fish which promptly fell on the green. On hitting the ground the ball rolled out of the mouth of the fish into the hole for a hole in one. On seeing this, Jesus said to the old man "Dad, if you don't stop messing about we won't bring you again."

I hope you liked that one and I shall conclude by quoting from Dave Allen, an Irish comedian sadly no longer with us:

"In Ireland we take our religion seriously. We take our sex religiously."

A Healing Gospel

Once upon a time there were healers in the land.

When someone, person or animal became ill, the healer would be asked to their bedside or shelter. Energy would be channelled, and sometimes the person or animal would regain their health, and sometimes they would die. Death was mourned, but carried no fear, because it was understood that the loved one would always be with the family in spirit.

Nothing remains the same, and healing began to evolve. No longer was the energy of the source considered enough. There came plant healers, religious healers and scientific healers, and out of these came the Doctor, and the most revered was the Doctor. He promised much, and sometimes the person or animal got well, and sometimes they died. Death was mourned, but by now carried great fear, because it was understood that the loved one had gone, and would never be seen or heard from again.

The Religious leaders in the land saw that this situation was harmful, and re-introduced a concept of heaven. If all the family were good and worshipped the right gods, then they would all meet again in heaven to have a family party. If the people refused to bow down to the right god, then they would be separated, with hell being their final reward. Full of fear, the people chose the right god.

The Religious leaders also put their weight behind the Doctors. They feared to allow the free energy given by the source to be used for healing, because they would be discovered as frauds, and would lose their power. They needed the people to do as they were told, and so they invented a Devil who could also heal. The people who used the energy from source were branded: witches, devil worshippers, charlatans, spiritualists and evil doers. Once more the people were afraid.

The power of Religion waxed strong and the Doctors grew stronger by sheltering in religions arms. They became demi-gods to the people, who shunned taking any responsibility for their own well-being. And although many people died from the powerful drugs administered by the Doctors, the people were so afraid that they accepted what was happening, and even thanked the Doctors for their efforts.

The Doctors started to draw attention to their inadequate treatments by killing many and even becoming the cause of disease within their hospitals, but by now most people were in thrall to the Doctors and so too fearful to find the old ways. Just a few began to think for themselves. The Religious leaders and the Doctors saw this and were very afraid, believing that they needed a strategy to maintain their power.

Their best weapon was fear, and fear could be generated by inventing more serious illness, which would then generate more fear, and so the cycle would continue.

More illness meant inventing more drugs with which to heal the people, but by now Doctors had stopped talking about healing and talked instead of managing disease, cure became a nasty word. The whole world of illness had become so great, giving employment to many and riches to some, so that politicians sought to syphon some power for themselves. Whole economies now depended on the people being ill.

As power begot power, more and more companies evolved to manage the the power of illness. The people were poisoned with chemical laden food and water, ensuring that the Doctors would never be without power and employment. The Religious people harking back to their roots thought to improve their congregations by offering healing prayer for the suffering, omitting to teach the healing from source that everyone has access to. Some people were healed by their prayer and many were not, but just enough were healed to spread the belief that they were doing good.

Out of all this came a few people who cried, "enough!"

"We know that healing can be channelled from the source, and we will use it," and so once more healers walked the earth, and the Religious men, the Doctors and the Politicians were very afraid. So afraid, that they changed their tactics and sought to annex the healers into their midst. This they did by using their old ally, fear. They sought to prove that without passing various tests and examinations, and so displaying letters after their names, the healers would be a danger to the people and needed to be shunned and avoided.

There were many healers who longed for the power that the Doctors, Religious and Politicians wealded, and were happy to write examinations and invent spurious tests to deter the natural healer from healing the people. They sought to demand money so that those who believe in fear can display attractive certificates upon their walls, declaring to the world that they are part of a huge healing monopoly, and to join and take a crumb of power will ensure their acceptance by the hegemony that is medicine.

All the powers of the land rejoiced, it seemed that when Princes of the land joined their ranks and spoke of certificates and examinations to enable the healers to enter the world of the hospital, their cup runneth over.

There once more came upon the land healers who know the real source of power, and those healers are spreading their truth, and once more the powerful are afraid.

If you want to join the ranks of the healers visit: http://www.wisehealer.co.uk