CAN HOLINESS AND HUMOR COEXIST?

Some of the holiest moments in history happened around this season a couple thousand years ago.

I think of when the Angel visited Mary and the first thing he said was, “Hey there, Mary! You are so favored, and honored, and blessed!” She was a young teenager who was then told she was going to be having a baby. Not just any baby but the Almighty God’s baby. I’m sure she was freaked out by that message yet somehow responded to the Angel in the humblest, most mature, most obedient way when she said, “Okay…I’m all in!” So strange, yet so holy!

And then I think of when God appeared to Joseph, Mary’s fiancé, who found out she was pregnant and wanted to “divorce” her. And Joseph did what no man in that society would have done. He stayed with Mary rather than leaving her. And somehow he agreed to be an earthly father to the Son of God. So scandalous, yet so holy!

And just beyond that I think of the moment when the shepherds were in the fields minding their own business doing what they do late at night. And again an Angel appeared and said, “Hey y’all don’t freak out! But I’ve got this great news of the most joyful event ever to share with you. The Savior has just been born!” And then suddenly that one Angel was met with a whole host of angels and the glory of God was blazing everywhere around them. I cannot even fathom that. So scary, yet so holy!

But…(isn’t there always a “but”?…)

I have to wonder even in those sacred moments, even in those holiest moments, there had to have been some humor. Right? Mary, Joseph, the shepherds, the wisemen…somewhere in all of their stories of this “good news of great joy” there had to have been some laughter, some joy, some humor throughout the holy, some silliness in the sacred. Baby Jesus had to have made a funny face which cracked them up, or He probably peed everywhere while Joseph was trying to change His diaper, or they saw grateful humor in the fact that they put Jesus in a feed trough. When relaying the events of the night to Mary and Joseph, the shepherds had to have chuckled at the sheer craziness of it all.

Maybe I’m being sacreligious here, but in my brain they could not have been that serious, somber, and serene the entire time. Be realistic…

I can think of numerous times during a prayer or a song or a sermon that a moment just got the best of me and cracked me up. I’m not talking about strictly when I was an immature kid. I’m 55 years old and it still happens. Like, very recently. Now some people definitely frown upon those moments and the death stare you receive can penetrate right through you in an effort to make you feel a bit guilty about that. But isn’t God the inventor and giver of joy and fun and laughter?

Sometimes things seem serious and somber around the holidays. Maybe it’s the stress and busyness and planning and spending? And I wonder if we have passed over some of the joy. I wonder if by the end of the year we’re so worn slick that the seriousness has settled in and we’ve disregarded the sacred. And I wonder if we’re just humming along in life and there’s not a moment’s thought of the holy…and we’ve displaced life’s humor. Have we chucked it all and are living on a steady diet of routine, punch-in-punch-out, eat-drink-sleep-repeat? No holiness, no humor, no sacred, no silliness.

On the other hand, perhaps holiness and humor can’t coexist, or maybe they shouldn’t coexist?

I ran across Psalm 126 the other day and I read it to my family during our Christmas together. Here it is in a more contemporary style called The Passion Translation:

¹It was like a dream come true when You freed us from our bondage and brought us back to Zion! ²We laughed and laughed and overflowed with gladness. We were left shouting for joy and singing Your praise. All the nations saw it and joined in, saying, “The Lord has done great miracles for them!” ³Yes, He did mighty miracles and we are overjoyed! ⁴Now, Lord, do it again! Restore us to our former glory! May streams of Your refreshing flow over us until our dry hearts are drenched again. ⁵Those who sow their tears as seeds will reap a harvest with joyful shouts of glee. ⁶They may weep as they go out carrying their seed to sow, but they will return with joyful laughter and shouting with gladness as they bring back armloads of blessing and a harvest overflowing!

I love what this Psalm says. God did something great, and the people responded. I love the words in here. I need these words in my life. After sharing this Psalm with my crew, I challenged us all to be a family (and individuals) of joy, laughter, fun, and humor. To go after the holy, and along the way grab some humor. To pursue the sacred, but not forsake the silliness. I want this for me. I want this for us. And I want this for you.

Can holiness and humor coexist? You betcha!

As we launch into a new year, may we laugh. May we be overflowed with gladness. May we shout for joy. May we sing. May we reflect on God’s power, His faithfulness, and the wonders of His love for us. May we be restored and refreshed until our dry hearts are drenched again. May we be filled with joyful laughter. And may we receive back armloads of blessing.

Happy New Year!

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