That Joke Isn’t Funny Anymore

Knock-knock; Who’s there? Humor.

“Humor who?” Humor me and read this story.      

I’m blessed to have been raised by a Midwestern family that celebrates the joy of humor even if my opening joke falls short of a well-earned chuckle (and it does). Growing up we always found funny in our lives. Laughing at the farce we created and the foolishness of the ruling class. A trait challenging the stoic and stern expressions displayed on the warm and affectionate couple portrayed in American Gothic. The painting, not the TV show.

Humor that’s often droll and sometimes dark. Humor that mimics a Midwestern meteorological calendar. Experiencing the extremity and exaggeration of both seasons. Dry bitter cold and wet humid heat. A probable and possible reality during any spring or autumn day living in America’s heartland.

My gift of humor amusing, at least to me. An odd mix of styles. The low brow humor of a pre-adolescent boy, the parody word play of Allan Sherman, and the clever satire of Mark Twain. I told you it was weird!

All three flavors sharing a banana split theme of anti-establishment. A snubbing of snobs. A humbling of hypocrites. A reminder to those who believe they are holier than thou, that everyone has failed at our shared obligation to do unto others. No judgements for you today.    

But a funny thing happened to my sense of humor when I chose to live a God centered life. A life whose purpose is about creating more love in the world. Things that I thought were once humorous, no longer tickle my fancy or my funny bone. Not only are some things no longer laughable, but they seem mean, self-serving and even cruel.

Living a life of hiding secrets of shame and centered around stuff, made me a miserable person. A grumpy old man at thirty-two who suffered from constant aches of meaninglessness. I would employ humor like an electrified fence to discourage others from fully knowing my heart. If anyone would get too close to me, zap.

Unleashing shocks of cutting sarcasm or bullets of bitter irony. Harming anyone who was trespassing. Warning them to stay away today and every day. Protecting my pride while hiding my own insecurities.

Thinking this was a win-win. Not only would my heart remain private, but my ego would be rewarded. My wit and intellectual superiority openly displayed to the public.

I weaponized my gift of humor to demean other people, so I could feel better about myself. So, I could hid my true self. False feelings of superiority that were anti-human, anti-love and anti-God.  

My epiphany of God’s love for me and for all people, crushed my arrogance. Rescuing me from the death philosophy of materialism. Choosing Love over stuff.

Deliberately choosing to live a life of creating more love in the world. Rejecting my own selfishness for selflessness. Try saying that sentence seven times speedily.

When I humbled my heart, my spiritually was born again. Embracing God’s love, I ended my cycle of self-inflicted unhappiness. Baggage I no longer need to carry. Stuff that was weighing my being down. Ending my long voyage of polluting God’s good world with my bitter words disguised as humor.

As I started to re-examine everything about my life and how I lived my life, I no longer found pleasure in belittling other people or their circumstances. Realizing as I tried to live a life of treating others like I would want to be treated, my sense of funny was often at the expense of other people. People who are children of God. Spiteful sarcasm to diminish their dignity, decrease their value or dismiss their situation.

As I try to create more love in the world, I realize I can no longer make fun of things people cannot change. This includes physical characteristics and innate traits. How and where they came into the world. Their family, their upbringing and circumstances not of their choosing or doing.

I still have my own weird sense of humor because they are gifts from God. The absurdity and vanity of life is at times easier to cope with when laughing with the saints as opposed to always crying with the sinners. Because I am human, I am pietist and pagan.   

A good sob is akin to a satisfying meal. Riotous laughter is best friends sharing a Vegas buffet. Family and friends and food. These are a few of my favorite things.  

I still find plenty of opportunities to laugh in my life, including the many foolish things I do. Human folly is the gift that keeps giving. God is no stranger to us or having a sense of humor. 

Humor can be a powerful and valuable tool to justly critique the rich and powerful. As impactful as the words of the prophets in their critique of the injustices they saw happening. Sometimes the emperor has no clothes, and someone needs to speak truth to reality. Especially if that reality is self-serving and determinantal to other creatures and creation.

Not all comics are prophetic or insightful. Some are just mean or stupid. Meanness and stupidity are both things we can change about ourselves. It certainly isn’t something we should try and be experts in, even for a joke.

Cruelty and ignorance are qualities valued by a world that all too often disregards human worth and value. Cheap laughs are just that, cheap. Just because your t-shirt says your with stupid, doesn’t mean you have to act stupid.

It’s not the power of Pine-sol, it’s the power of free will. Jokes I once laughed at are laughs I regret. Jokes that aren’t funny anymore because they were self-serving and determinantal to humans.

Since my spiritual awakening, I’ve come to understand the importance and value of humor in a new way. But like all gifts from God, it can also be misused and abused. Anything for a laugh isn’t about Love, and God is Love.  

Humor playing an important role in my understanding and unraveling of this wonderful mystery I find myself in. This amazing adventure called life. Knowing there is a time to cry and a time to laugh. Knowing God is in both.

When this life is over, I hope l die with a smile on my face. Because I know the Truth with every new day. Experiencing the amazing and unconditional love God has for me. For you, for all people.

Laughter might be the best medicine, but Love is the only power that can heal our brokenness and our broken world.